Puckleberry of the Dead
by BlueMangoInTheSkyy
Summary: It was bound to happen sooner or later...the end of the world.  How does a small town in Ohio deal with it?  And how does one citizen make it back home despite the walking dead.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee…Shocking, I'm sure! Enjoy!**

**Prologue**

Zombies. Fuckin' zombies. Seriously. That shit made for great movies and even better video games but to happen in real life…that shit ain't fair. For anyway the world to end, it probably would have been better if it had been a natural disaster (like a tidal wave, or a comet or that fuckin' hole in the ozone finally fryin' everyone to a crispy treat)…or even a nuclear bomb cause at least once it happened it was done...either everyone was dead or people could rebuild shit and move on. But zombies? Nope, those fuckers stick around and are just as dangerous from day one until they eat your ass. People could try to move on but unless you get rid of all of the sick fucks, nothing is going to change and considering there had been almost six billion people in the world when the zombie disease struck…forget it, not happening in his life time and he was only seventeen with a will to survive until he's eighty.

There's a reason why zombie movies never truly end…Resident Evil…nope zombies still walking around even after the fourth movie not to mention the gazillion video games that started it all. 28 days later…nope had to make a movie about 28 weeks later and there was probably one for 28 months later in the making before that shit became real. Shawn of the Dead...best zombie movie EVER...dude has his zombie best friend locked up in his garage or some shit. The Return of the Living Dead? Um, title speaks for itself. Zombies don't stop…they don't lie down and give up. They don't even fuckin' sleep, how fucked up was that. His only question? Do the fuckers age? Will they at least grow old and die? If so, than all they got to do, is out last the fuckers. But if they don't…if the zombies just keep goin' and goin' like that fuckin' bunny…than they were fucked.

He had to admit though, in his case, he had it pretty easy in comparison to the rest of the world. His sleepy little town, the town he was so desperate to leave and not become another Lima loser, banded together fairly quickly. There had been a few people (one really) in the town who had seen the panic spreading across the major cities and had reacted. Making decisions, ordering, blackmailing…whatever it took to lock the town down, allocate resources and getting needed supplies to make sure what was happening to the rest of the world, would not happen here. Before the rest of the world even knew what was goin' on…she knew. How? Bitch was crazy (maybe in her craziness, she saw zombies when it could have been anything else like swine flu or another terriost attack and just happened to be right) but effective so who gave a flyin' shit. He still wasn't sure how she did it, all he could think of was that she was so used to giving orders, and most of the town was scared of her anyway, that they just followed along…including him. Who would have thought that Sue Sylvester would be the one to save Lima, Ohio?

He didn't know if the rumors of Coach Sylvester being in the Marines/Navy/Air Force elite were true but after having seen her in action these last few months, they were easier to believe than before everything went to hell. With her dreaded fuckin' bullhorn in hand and her sidekick Cherrio Becky next to her, she had the high school quarantined within a few hours, than the grade schools and slowly moving outward until the whole town was zombie free. She didn't hesitate in first bashin' heads in with the baseball bat liberated from the sports closet and later blowin' them from the guns and rifles liberated from several locations throughout town of her former neighbors if they were infected; something a lot of those following behind her had trouble with. But after seeing what the 'sickos' did and what could happen to someone if they were bitten or even got some of their blood/saliva/mucousy shit in them, those troubles soon disappeared. You don't usually get a second chance when a zombie is close enough to bite you. It became about survival and keeping the healthy…zombie disease free. As for nicknaming the zombies, he figured it was their way of separating them from people they used to know. Putting a bullet into Mr. Darcy's head, the guy who used to give out free tootsie rolls when he was a kid, could seriously fuck with your head. Putting a bullet into a 'sicko' that was tryin' to eat you like you were a yummy tootsie roll, much easier for the brain to handle. Sure, sooner or later, the fallout from killing people you knew will happen, but for the time being…'sickos' it is.

Lima, Ohio…zombie free zone. They were lucky. Lima was close enough to a major city to attract big business like Walmart and Bass Pro where they were still reaping the benefits from (hell even Sheets n' Things provided the luxurious bedding that he now slept on…it was lavender but had a thread count of over 1000, he was still a bad ass, just a really comfortable bad ass now) but also far enough away to have their own dedicate power and water sources. And with Coach's quick thinking, the people to run all that crap survived. She still had all that shit on mandatory rations…nothing lasts forever no matter how careful they are but at least for the time being, while things are still royally screwed up…they had the necessities. Somehow she found the few geeks that had come close to being arrested for being a threat to national security cause of their hacking hobbies, and got them to hack into every viable government and private organization that would even remotely help them out. Hell, those geeks, the very same ones he used to throw into dumpsters, hacked into a few of the defensive and communication satellites and currently had them floating above Lima, giving them access to aerial views where they could keep their eye on things without even leaving home. He would never admit this out loud, but nerds have taken over the world and Sue Sylvester is their queen. Her palace…McKinley High.

Don't get him wrong…they had lost a lot of people. As good as Coach had been, only about an eighth of Lima's population had survived. One of the good things about Lima, is the same as a bad thing. Columbus was the nearest big city…about 40 miles but still close enough that a lot of people still commute whether for work or to enjoy things that Lima couldn't offer. And with the recession, and the limited jobs available in town, lots of people went to the surrounding cities to work. Most of Limas population was out of town when everything went to hell on a freakin' Tuesday. Also, Lima is just big enough for an airport meaning people who were about to become 'sickos' got in before they could do anything about it and that added to the rampage of 'sickos' and infecting others before anything could be done.

By the time the dust had settled, and they had cleaned Lima up, only a few hundred survivors remained; mostly teenagers like him who were at the high school at the time to take orders and kids from the grade school where Coach had aimed their efforts as soon as the high school was on lock down. About eighty or so 'adults' survived. Mostly teachers like Mr. Shue and Ms. Pillsbury (to Coach's constant irritation) but also some were saved before being infected.

The moment he decided that he would follow Coach Sylvester until he died, was the moment his mom had walked through the gym doors with the last band of survivors coming in about two days after everything started. He had been gettin' a quick bite to eat before heading back to kill some more of the 'sickos' and looking for anyone that may have been hiding out when he heard his name…not his bad ass nickname…but his first name. He had dropped his plate and started looking around for the hysterical voice he recognized over the heads of all the others in the large packed gym. Sobbing and running towards him with his little sister in her arms, his mother continued to yell his name. He cried like a pussy and didn't give a flyin' fuck who saw him while they just stood there, the three of them, wrapped up in their own bubble surrounded by shell shocked 'victims'. Holding his cryin' mother and sis, he had looked over her shoulder and saw Coach just standin' there watchin' them with an unreadable expression on her face. She nodded slightly in his direction before bringin' that damn bullhorn to her mouth and called him a pansy ass, and to hurry it up cause he was wastin' daylight or some shit like that.

Lucky. In comparison to the rest of the world, he was lucky. Finn. Kurt. Lucky. Their parents made it too. Mrs. Hudson had been visiting with Mr. Hummel at his garage when things started. He threw her into the tow truck, ran over a few 'sickos' and booked it to the high school with the idea of looking for their kids and getting the hell out of Dodge (Lima, whatever). Seeing that Finn and Kurt were fine and that the high school was rapidly becoming the safest place to be, Mr. Hummel joined the rescue effort while Mrs. Hudson stayed behind to help look after the little kids.

Another set of parents that had come to the school looking for their kid. The Berries.

She was supposed to be in school that day. She was supposed to be in a classroom along with the rest of the student body when shit went down. She had texted him earlier that morning letting him know she didn't need a ride because she was coming down with some dreaded disease that not even her perfect attendance could convince her to attempt to rally enough energy to come to school or some weird shit like that. That should have clued him in right there that something was off. After losing her voice and her freaking out about it freshman year…she still managed to come to school (dressed in cute PJs and bunny slippers with her hair all messy braided…that shit was hot). She would literally have to be dying before she would give up on her perfect attendance and if she had been, she sure as hell wouldn't have had the energy to text him that long ass message. At the time, he figured he would stop by with some canned soup and a slushie to make her feel better but that never happened.

After talking to the Berries, come to find out that Little Miss Perfect, the girl who could do no wrong and wouldn't even think about breaking a rule, she picked that day...the one fuckin' day that zombies take over the world to skip mother fuckin' school. It made him so mad just to think about. Never mind the fact that she should have just told him so he could do the same…preferably with her…but out of all the days to ruin her perfect attendance she had to pick that day.

The Berries had no idea where the fuck she went or even why she would even think to do something like. They were devastated to find out she wasn't there and no one even knew where to even look for her. They still held out hope though, her dads. They started spouting off shit like, how she is a strong resourceful young woman, perfectly capable in protecting herself. That between dance class and voice lessons, she had also taken a few classes of karate or tae kwon do or some shit which in his mind, he could only grimace at the idea that a few classes would make all the difference when it came down to her midget self and a group of zombies. As the days went by, the Berries became less and less convinced that their little girl had made it. If she had, she would have made it to the high school by then. Puck's worst nightmare, one day he would be out hunting 'sickos' and come across her and having to shoot her to put her out of her misery. He wasn't really sure if he could separate her from a 'sicko'. He just might let her bite him and get it over with.

Yeah, so he's lucky. His mom and little sister are safe and sound at the school. And while most are depressed about their losses, he still had most of his friends. Plus, now he is playing the live action version of Resident Evil and with the cool techy toys the AV club members put together, Call of Duty. That was another 'coping' mechanism of his...pretend it was just a big video game. Sometimes it was the only way he could get out of his bed.

But he still felt…sad? Depressed? Angry? Over all the losses but most especially hers as well. Part of him, the badass, was pissed cause he just got to the 'under the clothes but over the underwear' part of their relationship. Hell, there had been a time where it was him in his boxers and her in a matching bra and panty set. Everything was still over the clothes but still probably one of the best nights of his life. The sexting was helped him get through the 'no sex until Rachels ready' self-imposed dry spell…Holy Moses, put that big vocab to good use, and she had a dangerous weapon on her hands. His phone almost melted with her hot texts.

The other part of him, the Noah part, knows that what he felt for Rachel was more than what he felt for any other woman…even more than the wealth of emotion that had caused him to say yes to Quinn on the day his daughter was born. He hadn't said it in so many words but he tried to show it with a bunch of little shit that he knew girls liked and for the most part he thinks she got that message because her eyes would light up just a little more than usual, her smile would be impossibly bigger and the kisses would be just a little sweeter. And he knew that she loved him back even though she never said the words either. She never talked down to him, always encouraged him to apply himself in school and in everything. Hell, even before they started dating (the 2nd time at least), he knew she cared about him. She was there for him during one of the most difficult times in his life despite having to deal with the loss at Nationals and losing her mother.

The day after Beth was born and he and Quinn were still at the hospital, Shelby offered to adopt his kid. He flat out refused to sign any papers handing Beth over to her even with Quinn pleading with him. Quinn started spouting off how this was best for their daughter, how Shelby planned on retiring so she could become a full time mom. How this woman would be able to offer all the things their daughter deserved. Puck wasn't listening, he hadn't been directly involved with the whole Rachel/Mom Shelby thing but he knew enough and if she could do that to her own kid, what the hell would she do with his.

It was Rachel that had talked him into it much to his shock. Quinn and Beth were still at the hospital while he had gone home to change and grab a quick bite to eat before heading back to spend more time with Beth. He already made the decision that giving Beth up for adoption would be the best thing for her and after talking to 'Daddy' Berry who was a lawyer, he knew he wanted an open adoption. One thing he learned from the Shelby/Rachel thing, is that he never wanted his daughter to wonder who her dad was and why he decided to give her up. He wanted Beth to always know that he would be there if she ever needed him, and that by letting her go, it was only because he loved her so much that he wanted everything for her, which at sixteen he wouldn't be able to give her. He never wanted to have to worry that one day his daughter would feel that her biological parents didn't love her or that something was wrong with her for them to give her up. He had written a four page letter (with Rachels help) to the prospective parents that would be given to Beth if she ever wanted it. He planned to always keep the adoption agency updates on his whereabouts so that if she ever came looking, all she would have to do is ask. He did request that the adoptive parents occasionally send him pictures and news but according to Mr. Berry, this was optional on their part. They didn't have to send him shit once he signed the papers, that was it…he would be dependent on the adoptive parents to keep him updated. He could only hope that who ever took his little girl would give her the life that he hoped for her. Either way, he only had a few more days before Beth would be taken from him and he wanted as much time as he could to be with her.

He was just on his way out the door when he spotted Rachel standing by her car. "I know you want to get back to the hospital but can I give you lift? There's something we need to discuss."

He only nodded, a little concern by the look on her face. "I want you to meet Beth anyway."

The dark look disappeared as she smiled, "I would be honored."

The two got into the smaller car, with Noah having to move the seat back to accomadiate his longer legs. "Alright, Berry, s' up?"

She drew a deep breathe, "Quinn called me."

Noah leaned his head back, "She shouldn't have called you…I'm not letting Beth go to that bit…her."

Rachel pulled over, they were still a few blocks away from the hospital. Turning towards him, "Noah, this is your decision. I won't take that away from you, but I don't want you to factor these last weeks into that decision.' Noah was going to interrupt but she put her hand up, 'Wait, please let me finish. What Shelby did was wrong, very very wrong. She shouldn't have sent Jesse in to trick me into finding her. But after thinking about it, I can't really say that I blame her. Knowing that there is someone out there that has a little bit of you in them and not being a part of their life…that has to eat away at you even a little." Noah remained quite, similar thoughts had been floating in his head just moments ago. Rachel continued, 'I can even understand why she didn't want me, it still hurts a little but now that I've had time to think it over, I kinda understand."

"How?" Noah asked angrily, not at Rachel but at the woman who had hurt her.

"Because she's right. She's not my mom…she could never be my mom because she wasn't there all the times that I needed a mom. My dads were, there my family. The truth is, there is no room for 'mom', my dads are everything I need and could want in parents. And even if one day, I learned that neither were my biological father, they would still be my dads. No one can take that away from me…from us. Its not about who made me, but about who was there for me growing up. They were there whenever I truly needed them and I know that they will always be there for me. Does that make sense?"

He nodded, "Yeah, but I don't get what that has to do with now?"

"I want you to reconsider letting Shelby adopt Beth."

"Are you crazy?" Noah almost shouted.

"Noah, she may not have been a mom to me, but she can be to Beth. I've seen her working with Vocal Adrenaline, she may push them but she also really cares about them. Did you know that Jesse, who thought himself so perfect, was actually failing History? If he had failed, he would have lost his scholarship. Shelby got him a tutor, cut all his solos and threatened to kick him out of VA until he got his grades back up. And that's not the only thing. I've done some research…talked to some past members of VA and found out that she was like that for all those kids since she took over their coaching. About five years ago, she found out that one of her girls was being sexual abused by her father, she helped the girl see a doctor, go to the cops, got lawyers to get the dad put away and even took guardianship of the girl until she graduated high school and went to college. She keeps track on all those kids…even ones that she coached in her first year. Shelby may not have been MY mom…but she has been a mother figure to a lot of these kids…kids who didn't have two dads who loved them unconditionally.' Tears have been escaping from her eyes at this point. She reached over, running her hand over the soft hair of his Mohawk. 'She would be a great mom to Beth. I know this is a hard decision for you especially knowing Shelby like we do but I just wanted you to keep thinking about it and not totally rule her out."

He nodded and with that, Rachel had driven the rest of the way to hospital and was finally able to meet Beth for the first time. Watching her hold and feed Beth, he saw that even though Beth wasn't hers, that she would probably never see this baby again in her life, Rachel loved her. Maybe because Beth was a part of him or maybe just cause Beth was a little baby and new to the world but it was easy to see in Rachel's shiny brown eyes the love. Rachel had described herself as 'wanting everything too much' but Noah realized at that moment it was because she felt everything too much. Holding a baby that wasn't even hers didn't matter, she loved it because it was a baby, it was new to this fucked up world and would need that love in order to get by.

He thought about what she said about Shelby later that night. He couldn't help comparing New Directions to Vocal Adrenaline. He knew for a fact, that Mr. Shue had helped every one of them in one form or another this past year despite his own personal issues with his crazy wife and divorce. Noah knew that Mr. Shue cared about them and there were only twelve of them.

If what Rachel had learned were true, Shelby had about twice that many kids in VA at one time to worry about, care about, whatever. And the fact that she had been coaching VA for over five years…that was a lot of kids to worry about. Quinn said that Shelby planned on quitting VA, maybe just giving voice lessons or something but otherwise, she would stay at home to raise Beth. He wondered, if Shelby was capable of caring…maybe in loving all those kids she coached over the years…how much love would there be if she concentrated it on one kid? Before he realized it, he was crying. That's what Beth deserved, someone who cared about her, loved her so much that she was the center of their world.

The next morning, he watched as Shelby held Beth and he could already see it, the all encompassing love that she held for the tiny figure in her arms…she didn't hide it and even knowing that there was still a chance that she wouldn't get the chance to adopt Beth, she still loved the tiny baby. He knows that Rachel believed that she is more the result of her environment and being raised by her two dads and he would agree with her 99% of the time but at this moment, when he watched Shelby feeding Beth, he saw Rachel from the night before. He only had to squint his eyes a little and the picture would be identical.

A light bulb struck, Rachel and all her crazy antics and wanting things her way...does the apple really fall that far from the tree? And if Shelby adopted Beth, wouldn't that mean in some way he was entrusting the life and well being of his daughter to someone who was like Rachel. Yeah, what Shelby did to get to Rachel was wrong...but he knew at that moment that that Berry would have done an equally crazy stunt to get her way (though he doubted very much, Rachel would have sent someone like Jesse to 'seduce' or would have left in the end, probably due to her environment upbringing or something). Yeah, sometimes Berry drove him crazy ('light himself on fire' crazy) but he had to admit that her drive, what made her unique among her peers, was also something to be in awe of. Her dreams of Broadway were practically a fact and if Shelbys dreams were even one tenth as driven at being a mom, then he knew that Beth would be in good hands.

He called Mr. Berry and asked him to bring the papers that very day. It still killed him to sign them but he did. There were no promises from Shelby that she would keep him updated but Noah was somewhat okay with that because now he knew that his little girl would grow up happy with someone who would love her unconditionally.

He wasn't surprised when he came to school the next week that Rachel and Finn were now an item. He was okay with that. Too much shit had happened for him to feel…anything about it. Plus, he was thinking that he and Quinn would give it a shot. He still loved her but as a few months went by they both realized that the feelings that they had for each other was each of them trying to hold onto the memory of their daughter and not something separate. They broke up amicabilly and remained friends. Finn and Rachel dated for almost the same amount a time as he and Quinn despite the whole Santana thing but ultimately both had this version of the other in their head that didn't quite live up to the realtiy…her words not his.

He started hanging out with Rachel more and more whether because of some Glee assignment, homework (he really did want to get out of Lima at some point and he figured college would be his best bet), or just cause. Take out the Broadway, the craziness and gold stars and he learned that Rachel was a pretty cool chick to hang with even if she did suck at Call of Duty (she had an unhealthy habit of just running in and blowin' shit up without any backup…and she did it while smiling the whole time).

He still hooked up with random Cherrios and cougars but for the most part, he had changed. And the summer before their senior year (the summer after they finally beat the crap out of Vocal Adrenaline at Nationals even though he thinks it was partly do with their clumsy new coach than anything) he started seeing Rachel as something more. It started out with a few awarkard dates both of them trying to move away from a friendship to being asomething more but soon everything just clicked. There was a small part of him that thought that maybe why these feelings for Rachel had happened was because she was his only link to his daughter because her mother was now Beth's mother but those ideas stopped as time went on and he started thinking of Rachel as herself around the third or fourth date.

They had been dating for almost eight months. They would be graduating soon. He hadn't made it into any colleges (let's be realistic, even if he had been able to pull straight As his junior and senior year, he still had his past GPA and juvie record to contend with) but he was cool. Rachel had of course made it into Julliard on a scholarship and so he planned on moving to New York with her. They had already made plans that he would go to a local community college nearby, get his grades up and in two years he would transfer to one of the bigger universities in the area. The Berries already helped him land a job as mail boy (yeah, it sucked but pay was good) in a local law firm and it was still flexible enough for any classes that he would be taking. And since his mom didn't make a lot of money, most of his classes would be paid with grants. Rachel would still live at the student housing but he found some shoebox apartment he could stay at nearby.

Yeah, things were going great. But despite all this, there was still a part of him that missed his baby girl. Rachel was the only one who knew how much. Even before they started dating and on Beth's first birthday, he had shown up at her house and cried like a baby on her shoulder. He had been more angry (depressed) the whole week leading up to it, and he could see that Quinn was a little more subdued than usual. No word from Shelby had come in the past year so he knew his chances of it happening now were slim. There wasn't a day that didn't go by that he didn't think about his daughter but he always tried to imagine her being happy and healthy in her new life. Some days that was the only thing that got him out of bed. Sitting there on the Berries coach, crying like a little bitch, Rachel held him…for once, not really saying anything, just letting him cry. Even afterwards, she didn't try to make him talk about his feelings or anything like that, just let him talk about what ifs, would he have been a good dad, what was she like, was she walking and talking yet, does she look more like Quinn or him, all the shit that ran through his mind over the last year just came spilling out. He fell asleep on her couch and the next morning he was grateful when he woke up to the smell of waffles that Rachel didn't say anything. Just fed him and drove him to his house so he could get ready for school. He still missed Beth like crazy but being able to let at least some of that emotion and thoughts go, helped him to move on.

At least until the day of Beth's second birthday drew closer. Rachel saw the signs and tried to just be there for him but there was little she could do. Noah knew that it would probably be like this every year…maybe it would get better as time went marching on but there would always be a part of him that would just stop and wonder around this time of year. Maybe next year, with moving to New York, college and work…it would be easier since so much more would be occupying his brain but he felt pretty much the same this year as he did last year. And he had a feeling that he would probably do exactly the same thing, show up at Rachels house and fall asleep on her couch after crying his eyes out. He was okay with that.

And now, now that the world has ended, he feels the same as he did when signing those papers. Because he knows, despite the Berry's reassurance that their little girl is still alive, he's lost Rachel. There is no way she could have survived this on her own wherever she is. And while that fact alone is enough to bring him to his knees, knowing that his daughter, the little girl he gave up so she could have a better life than he could give her, was probably dead, too. His 1000+ thread count pillow case, are stained with his tears (he hides this from his mom by doing his own laundry).

He doesn't tell anyone about this, cause overall, he's lucky. Plus, he still has the image of BAMF to uphold and that image is even more important now than it ever was, not for his sake but for the others. The school was filled to the brim with kids, teenagers and adults who lost their parents/kids. He has his mom and his little sister. Most of his friends. He tries to think about that and keep going on that. They are the reasons that he gets up every morning, eats breakfast before heading out to the town's borders to keep the wandering zombies off their front porch. He has to protect his mom and lil sis and right now, that was his coping mechanism. Anything to get through the day.

Fuckin' zombies.

AN: How did this idea even start? I was watching Red Dawn and than learned that they were remaking it. I thought what if Glee was involved. Than I watched Walking Dead and Supernatural (sorry, it won't be a crossover) and it kinda stuck. Its already gone through a hundred different scenarios in my head but I'm really happy with the tone of this first chapter. However, I am in desperate need of a beta. I think some of my thought processes in this chapter kinda went crazy but I just wanted to get this down before I lost it. If interested please PM me. I am also currently working on the 2nd chapter which will hopefully be up soon (if I get a beta…hint,hint!). Thanks for reading.


	2. Chapter 1: Florida Sunshine

**Disclaimer: Shocking, I'm sure but I don't own Glee! Hope you enjoy!**

**Thanks to:**

**Kdmr87: Hope you continue to enjoy (and double thanks for being my first reviewer…cookies for life for you)**

**Bonesluver: I know…right…what's not to love about that combo. The plot bunny was driving me crazy with the idea. I'm glad you thought I got Puck down cause I'm a girl and have never written from a male point of you…especially a teenage male like Puck. There will be more from his side of things coming up in the next chapter.**

**AN: I wasn't planning on updating so soon but since this turned out to be a 'no action' chapter; I wanted to post it anyway to get to the good parts. Also, I did rename the first chapter as a prologue since I plan on taking things back from Puck's perspective as well and at first I was a little intimidated at trying to portray Sue Sylvester, I now feel I am up to the challenge. And again, I know I need a beta so if you are willing to take up the challenge please let me know (I would love to go back and fix any mistakes I missed). And last but not least, I have tweeked a few things from the 'Prologue' mainly the time frame that Rachel and Finn dated. Sorry, I'm new at this. Thanks and I hope you do enjoy this chapter! **

**Also, for this fic, Kurt didn't go to Dalton (as you probably figured out in the first chapter). I really like Blaine though so I'll try to throw him in somewhere. Oh, just had an idea now…go me!**

_Italics = Flashbacks_

**Chapter 1**

Day One (Florida):

Rachel took a deep breath as she combed her hair and readjusted her clothing. It had been a long nervous flight. Not so much the fact that she was traveling alone in the only red eye flight she could find but that she was doing it behind everyone's back even though technically seventeen was the age of consent, her dads were going to explode when they found out. She was sure that when she did return home the next day they would probably incarcerate her to her room until she was thirty if they ever learned of her clandestine travels.

But she was determined to see this through, not just for herself but for Noah. Her sophomore year had been difficult…not just with Glee and all the drama surrounding the club (which she can now admit to herself that much of it her was her own) but with finally meeting her biological mother and subsequent loss of her. She had tried to put on a brave front, for her dads and her 'new' friends and she tried to push her thoughts and emotions to the back of her mind, but sometimes when she was alone those emotions would rise up. Despite everyone telling her that it wasn't her…she wasn't the real reason that her mother had rejected her, there was always that one small part of her that thought maybe it was her fault. It had taken a long time to get over those feelings and to look at the experience from a different angle.

One reason she was here was to put that feeling finally to rest…she didn't get a chance to express her feelings to the woman and before she could move forward to Julliard and start a new life in New York with Noah, she was going to confront the woman that had irrevocable changed her life. She was also going to make it clear that what Shelby was doing to Noah, Quinn and Beth was just a repeat of the exact same thing the two of them had gone through. It wasn't fair, and Rachel was on a mission to change all that.

She looked at her watch and realized that Noah would just be getting out of bed and her dads would be sitting down for coffee. She first sent a text to her boyfriend explaining her 'illness' and than a text to her dad on how successful the sleepover was and how she was going straight to school from Mercedes house and then another quick 'thank you for covering for me so I could spend some time with my boyfriend' text to Mercedes. After sending the last text, she breathed deeply. This gave her at least another eight or nine hours (depending on whether or not Mercedes would wait until Glee club before asking…'joking' on how things went last night to Noah) before her absence was questioned. She just needed this one day to get things accomplished; her return flight would arrive early the next morning with her being back home just after her dads left home for work. She was confident that she could continue her ruse with her dads about spending time with one of the other female Glee clubbers but Noah would be more inclined to question since he didn't actually see her at school. She knew she would have to call him before he thought about trying to visit her and inadvertently let her dads know something was wrong, probably before school let out to let him know what was going on and she wasn't sure what to say exactly. The only thing she could come up with was that when she did finally call, she would know whether or not her mission was a success.

She gave herself a reconfirming albeit slightly nervous grin before raising the handle on her trolley bag and exiting the restroom. She followed the signs leading from the arrival area to the bank of taxis. She did glance briefly at the large electronic board that listed all incoming and outgoing flights, and noticed slightly the amount of red lettered 'cancelled' but since she had already arrived to her destination she paid no heed to it. She also didn't notice the small crowds gathering around the flat screen TVs that were arranged throughout the large airport nor did she hear the TV announcer's panicked words or the collective shocked words and gasps from the small crowds.

As she approached the large glass doors that were the exits and the bright Florida sunshine beaming just outside, she took another steadying breathe. She hoped the address she was able to find online wasn't too far because she was worried that she might turn back around and take the returning flight much sooner than she had planned.

_Breathing hard, Rachel took a moment from her jog to sit at a park bench. She was enjoying one of the few days left of sun and warmth before the Midwest winter came bearing down on Lima. You could almost smell the frosty winds gearing up for a cold front where temperatures would drop in preparation for winter precipitation. Halloween seemed to signal the end of moderate temperatures in the fall for the Midwest, sometimes children were able to go trick or treating with just their costumes to ward off the early evening cool breezes but most times in Ohio, those giving out the candy mostly saw winter jackets and scarves keeping little ones warm instead of brightly colored tailored outfits of superheroes and princesses. Halloween was still a few weeks away so their respite will be short lived and Rachel wanted to enjoy the time outside for her early morning exercises before being forced to use the elliptical that she had in her bedroom._

_Stretching her arms across her chest before she continued, she didn't notice the figure that approached her from behind._

"_S'up, Berry?" Noah Puckerman greeted._

_Jumping slightly, Rachel turned slightly in her seat. "Noah? You scared me."_

_A smirk was her only response before he sat down next to her. She waited patiently (something not like her at all) for him to say something. Just before the few seconds turned into a minute and she was about to interrupt his stoic silence, his spoke. "So, you and Finn." It wasn't a question, but a statement on current affairs._

_She nodded, it didn't surprise her that he already knew, Lima was a small town and the small town high school pupils of McKinley took great pleasure in passing on any and all gossip related news to each other (with the help of one Jacob Ben-Israel and his slanderous blog). "Yes, Finn and I…we decided that it would be the best in both our interests if we ended our relationship…amicably of course. We are still friends but are no longer dating." She said this matter of fact without any trace of emotion._

"_Hmm." He nodded before leaning back against the wooden table behind him and crossing his arms. She watched as he furthered settled in as he stretched his legs out in front of him and crossed them at the ankle before going still. This was unusual for Noah, the man she was used to was always moving as if a child with ADHD. Even during his classes and Glee, there was always some part of him that was moving, whether it was the bouncing of his leg or his fingers 'strumming' against an available flat surface. _

_Again the silence drew on for a few moments and once again, Noah was the one to end it. "How do you feel about that?"_

_The very un-Puck like question shocked her into silence (again, something she was not used to). "Noah, are you feeling alright?"_

_He sat forward sharply, "Huh, why'd you ask that?"_

_She scoffed, "You actually asked me a question that the only response that I could give would be to express my emotions."_

"_Yeah, so?"_

_She shook her head, "That's not a very Puck-like inquiry."_

_He shrugged his shoulders, "Maybe it's not 'Puck' asking…maybe it's Noah."_

_Her jaw dropped slightly before giggles escaped. Puck turned to her questioning. "What? S'not funny."_

_She covered her mouth and took a few small breaths to curb the laughter. Clearing her throat, she smiled. "While you were in juvenile detention…did they happen to run any psychological examinations on you?"_

_He frowned at the question. "Yeah, so what?"_

"_Because you making the clear distinction between Puck and Noah as if they were two separate entities…sounds slightly psychotic." Giggles escapes towards the end of her statement._

_He shook his head, "Nah, those tests only proved how sanely awesome I really am. Not that they would have shown anything…the chick who was given them, was way more interested in my guns." To illustrate he brought one of his arms up and flexed for the brunette, 'Who can blame her right? My guns are as awesome as my brain."_

"_Yes, Noah, as I have already iterated, your arms are very nice…as I'm sure your mind is as well."_

"_That means awesome, right?" He smirked, 'See, I knew you liked me, Berry."_

_She shook her head in exasperation. "Returning to your previous question, I'm fine. I think both Finn and I have felt this way for awhile now but with everything that happened our sophomore year, we both held onto this ideal that never truly existed because...' she frowned, trying to find the words to express her feelings while Noah watched her intently, 'we felt that after everything that happened, we had to be together because we had spent so much time and effort to BE together. Does that make sense?"_

_He nodded, "I think it's the same with me and Quinn…after Beth was born, and everything else that happened, I felt like I had to at least give it a shot even if Beth was gone, it was supposed to be natural. We both created her, and she was so perfect, than it only seemed right that we would be perfect together."_

_Rachel smiled brightly, "Exactly, ideally Finn and I should have been the perfect couple but the reality is that we weren't and I think we both figured out that we could never be perfect…not together in that sense at least."_

_He was quiet once again just staring off into the street that they faced. Rachel replayed his words in her head, "Wait, so Quinn and you are…?"_

"_For about a month now." He seemed a little sad about the breakup but Rachel thought it was more for the idea that didn't live up to expectations than from any true loss. Exactly how she felt with Finn. Finn would always hold a special place in her heart no matter what, and Noah had to be feeling it more so because he and Quinn had shared the experience of creating a child (no matter under what circumstances) and no one could replace that part in his heart._

_She laid her hand on his arm and gentle rubbed hoping to give him a sense of commiseration for her fellow Glee clubber._

_Abruptly, he stood and faced her. "So, I've been thinkin'. I know this may seem sudden but like you said…neither of us broke it off with our SO's until a few weeks ago but we knew it wasn't workin' for awhile right?"_

_Rachel nodded her response._

"_Well, that kinda means that we've been single for about two months each…right?' He stated and when her response was once again a nod, he continued. 'During that time, I couldn't help but think about when you and I were together. We weren't so bad…yeah, we were both makin' goggley eyes at someone else but I think if we hadn't been, we would have been epic…plus our make out sessions were seriously hot."_

"_Um, yes, I believe that you and I were compatible in many ways; that despite our obvious differences we seemed to balance each other out. And as for our more intimate moments they were as you say, hot." She gave a lopsided grin to the man standing in front of her._

_Without waiting for more, he leaned forward towards her, "We should give it another shot."_

"_What?" Obvious surprise coating the one word._

"_You heard me. I think we should give it another shot." He stated simply. _

_She just stared at him in shock._

_Rolling his eyes and leaning closer until their noses almost touched, he said softly, "You and I…are going out tonight. I'm going to take you to Breadsticks…and just so you know exactly how awesome I am, I checked and they do have a few vegan meals on their menu, eggplant something or other and some weird pizza thing…and then we can go to a movie or something…a date date…which we never did before."_

_Rachel was confused, she was normally a very eloquent individual and in the last fifteen to twenty minutes, during the course of this very conversation, Noah had subsequently left her without any words to express her shock and continued to do so._

_His response to her continued dilemma was to smirk. "Good, I'll pick you up at 6…and Berry feel free to wear one of those cute short plaid skirts...they make your legs look smokin'." With that, he stood upright and walked away only allowing her to watch as he got into his truck and drove off._

The taxi coasted down a long residential street where houses lined both sides with perfectly manicured lawns and palm trees swaying from a distant ocean breeze. She was surprised initially to find that Shelby had moved so far away Ohio. From her cladestine research, she learned that Shelby had original been planning to move to Columbus but a distant relative had passed away and had left the older woman a house in Orange Grove, Florida (not the most creative of names but as the taxi did pass by a few farms stating that the grew and sold the state fruit, it was applicable). Rachel understood the need to start fresh, she was looking forward to her own new beginning in New York in the fall so she couldn't begrudge her mother the fact to start anew in a new state, a new home and with a new baby. But that wasn't going to stop her from reaching her goal.

Despite the internal affirmation, the butterflies in her stomach became exploding torpedoes as she felt the taxi slow down as it reached its destination. Before she talked herself out of it, she paid the driver and waited by the curb as he removed her single luggage from the truck before getting back in his vehicle and driving off. She was left facing a moderate sized ranch style home. Like its neighbors, the lawn was well manicured and the fresh paint on the home gave it a postcard perfect feel to it. The adobe slate roof was appropriate for the climate and area as well as the well tended rock garden with shrubs. The general feel of the house was so different from the homes in Ohio, but a different type of warmth permeated the area and was not usually experienced in the Midwest state but still giving off a sense of home that anyone would experience.

Straightening her posture, she marched up the tiled walkway until reaching the heavy wood front door. Without second guessing, she knocked with the authority of someone who was being expected. She heard movement inside and didn't have to wait long before the door opened.

"Rachel?" Shelby's eyes widened at the unexpected visitor in front of her.

"You are the most selfish person I have ever met. After everything you did to find me and force me to contact you, you don't have the right to just walk away just because I didn't live up to your expectations. Before Jesse, I had only a mild curiosity about my biological mother. My daddies were the perfect parents, so perfect that all parents should look up to them on how to properly raise a child. But then you planned and schemed your way into my life until it felt like I had this missing hole in my heart, in my soul and despite all my efforts to try to go back to the way things were before, I have failed. Your silly gold star studded glass, while very apposite, does not excuse you from the fact that you left behind a daughter…not once but twice. I had no recourse but to come here and let you know the truth. Despite all of this, despite my feelings regarding this issue, that is not your biggest crime. My true reason for this unannounced visit is that you are only perpetuating a cycle that you yourself have experienced and are now forcing on Beth's parents. I know that your original intent at giving me up was somewhat admirable…allowing two individuals to adopt a child who otherwise may not have been given the chance. And my friends have done the same for you, allowing you to adopt Beth because you are unable to have any more children. However, you are now repeating history by not allowing said parents to be at least a small part of her life. Do you not remember what you felt like right before you sent your pretty boy stooge to seduce me? If it is one tenth what my friends are feeling at this moment, then I restate my beginning statement…you are selfish." Rachel took a deep breath after her last words, glad that she had been able to say everything in one breathe in order to deter any interruptions, all those years of vocal training have paid off.

Shelby just stood there for a moment, looking at Rachel with even more surprise than when she had opened the door. Rachel only drew up her chin waiting for the older woman's response.

"Please come in, Rachel." Shelby seemed to shake off the shock and opened the door a little wider offering the teenager admittance to her home.

It was Rachel's turn to be shocked. Admittedly the verbal tirade was a little unscripted, she had original planned to be cordial and use the charm that had won over so many, to gain a welcome into Shelby's home and then to gently remind the woman on how things should be between Beth and her parents. But the moment her mother had opened the door, words began spilling out of her mouth without any filter between her brain and her lips. Shelby's welcome had caught her by surprise but quickly took the opportunity and entered her home before the older woman could change her mind.

In the foyer, Shelby closed the door behind her. "Beth is still sleeping, we had a rough night."

Concerned, Rachel turned to her, "Is she okay?"

Shelby smiled, "She's fine, she's teething and its always rough on them.' Leading slightly ahead of the teenager, Shelby showed Rachel past the large living room and into the kitchen. 'Would you like some tea? Have you eaten breakfast yet? I was just about to make myself some scrambled eggs." At Rachel's wince, Shelby gasped, "I'm so sorry…I'd forgotten that you were vegan…I have some English Muffins and Strawberry Jam?"

"Thank you, that would be very nice." Rachel detracted the long handle of her trolley luggage and leaned it against the wall before sitting at the breakfast bar where Shelby had set a mug down. She remained quiet while Shelby moved around the large kitchen, setting up the teapot to boil as well as placing two English Muffins in the toaster. Her gaze wandered around the home and much like the outside, the interior radiated a warmth that accented the exterior as well as the Florida climate.

"Do your fathers know you're here?" The question caused Rachel to startle slightly and her attention moved back to her mother.

"I am seventeen years old, which is over the legal age of consent in Ohio, and my father's would have no say on my whereabouts."

Shelby chuckled, "I'll take that as a no. I'll assume you have a plan in place to keep the fact that you traveled over several states to meet with me from them."

Slightly more abashed, Rachel responded, "They think I spent the night at a friend's house and I was planning on texting them later to let them know I would do so again tonight. They trust me and have no reason to doubt my word."

Shelby raised her brows slightly and made no mention that the teenager was currently breaking that trust just by hopping on an out of state flight without their knowledge.

"When is your return flight?"

"Tonight, at 11:35 but I have to be there at least two hours early to get through security."

Shelby nodded and placed the two toasted items on a small plate and bringing it along with a glass jar of strawberry jam over to the bar. She then returned again with the teapot and poured the hot water in the mug and offered a box of mix teas to the teenager.

Sitting across from her, Shelby prepared her own tea. "I guess, you will be spending the day with me."

Rachel looked up in shock from soaking her tea bag into her mug.

Blowing on her own cup, Shelby looked at her daughter seriously, "Your right, Rachel, it was wrong of me to leave you like I did…and I've regretted it ever since."

Rachel swallowed emotionally, "You have?"

Shelby nodded, "I knew it the minute I walked out of the auditorium. The only reason I didn't turn back was because I knew you were upset with me…and I didn't want to know that you hated me, like you had every right to."

"I never hated you." The words coming out softly and in a barely audible whisper from the younger woman.

"You should have, I can't even imagine what you went through and I also need to apologize for Jesse. I did send him there to learn about you and when you two started dating, I truly thought he cared for you and wasn't doing it to get into my good graces." The expression on her face clearly showed the regret on having concocted the plan on using the former lead vocal as a spy. "If it makes you feel any better, I talked to the college where he got his scholarship and made it so that in order to keep it, he would have to work at the bookstore full time during his tenure there while maintaining a 4.0 GPA and participating in extracurricular activities. He should have little to no time with other more personal endeavours."

Rachel smiled and nodded shyly, "While I don't usually condone the 'eye for an eye' philosophy, I will instead consider it as proper retribution for the many baby chick lives that were taken in our final confrontation."

Shelby smiled at this, "I heard about that as well…and I didn't think such actions were worthy of a nationally ranked vocal team…so after handing in my resignation I made sure that my replacement was subpar to myself but befitting to a team that would stoop so low as to 'prank' their main competition."

The teenager laughed, "Noah said that the reason that Vocal Adrenaline lost Nationals that year was because their coach, and I almost hate to repeat this, sucked.' Rachel glanced covertly at her, 'Did they keep Dakota?"

Shelby giggled but shook her head, "No, Dakota Stanley got a new job at UCLA as their new official choreographer and he has signed a five year contract with the school. Coincidentally, I believe all the seniors involved in your egging, including Jesse, are now attending his required courses."

The two women giggled. Rachel felt calm over take her, and the hole in her soul began to heal. It wasn't about the talk about revenge over misdeeds that started it but that the two were actually…bonding over a moment.

Shelby was the first to stop giggling and become more serious. "You said something earlier…about Beth's parents."

Rachel sobered quickly at the reminder. "Yes, I know that you wanted to start a new life for you and Beth, but Noah and Quinn really miss her. And I had hoped that you would let me take a few pictures of her so that I could take back with me."

Shelby sighed. "Sweetie, I've been sending packages with pictures and drawings she drew and letters practically describing her every move since I brought her home. I even sent them a DVD of her first steps. And offered them to come down her over the summer for a visit."

"What? Noah knows nothing about this and I'm pretty sure Quinn doesn't either. They dated for awhile after Beth was born…I'm sure she would have shown him everything." Rachel stood slightly from her seat.

Shelby nodded, "Yes, I sent them to Quinn's home address…I always wondered why they never wrote back but I knew it was a tough decision for them to give up Beth…I just kept sending them because I had hope one day they would want to meet Beth again. I don't want what happened to you to happen to Beth, I don't want that door ever closed for her like I did to you."

Tears welled up in Rachel's eyes as realization took over, "Do you have the address?"

Shelby nodded and walked to the fridge and removed a slip of paper from underneath a magnet before heading back to the breakfast bar. "I was planning on putting together a new package of pictures and a DVD of her playing at the park this weekend."

Rachel gawked at the slip before looking up at Shelby. "This is Quinn's parents house. She got kicked out several months before Beth was born and ended up living with a friend of ours, Mercedes."

"Oh, no.' The older woman exclaimed softly. 'And at the time, she wouldn't have had any other official permanent address so the adoption agency had to give me this one if I wanted to remain in contact. Would her parents really keep those pictures and things of their granddaughter away from their own daughter?"

Rachel nodded, "From what I hear, they are not very nice people. They never welcomed Quinn back into their home, she still lives at Mercedes house. And as far as I know they haven't even contacted Quinn since they found out she was pregnant."

"It never occurred to me that they weren't getting Beth's pictures…I just assumed that they were still coming to grip with giving Beth up for adoption. I could tell they loved her so very much at the hospital and that the decision was tearing them up."

Rachel smiled through the tears in her eyes, she placed the address on the table top and reached forward to grasp her mothers hand, "While this is terrible news that someone would do this to their own daughter, I am so glad to hear that you have tried to keep them a part of Beth's life. I am so sorry for the words I said to you earlier. You didn't deserve it."

Shelby returned the grasp with tears in her own eyes, "I did, at least in some small way. I'm glad you came Rachel, not only for Beth who I will be sure to send duplicates of everything with you when you go home but also for me…a…third chance to get to know my daughter."

The two stayed in that moment of bliss for a few moments before the sounds of movement and babbling coming from a baby monitor broke them from their spell.

"That would be Beth. I better go get her before she decides to announce herself further. I'm glad your going to get the chance to meet her."

Rachel laughed, "We have actually already met once, at the hospital but I'm looking forward to seeing her again."

A few moments later, the older woman returned with Beth.

Pointing to the other brunette, Shelby cooed to the little girl, "Look, baby. I want you to meet someone very important."

Rachel was amazed to see Beth. She had been so tiny in her arms at the hospital almost two years ago and here she was a toddler. Rachel smiled at the little girl and couldn't help comparing her to her parents. She definitely had Quinn's facial structure, delicate features that reminded her of a porcelain doll and her hair while not quite as blonde as her mother's was like sunshine with curly caramel highlights shot throughout. However, her eyes reminded her all of her father…the beautiful charming hazel seemed to radiate from Beth as she stared at the stranger in her home with curiosity.

She was so enraptured by the small figure in her mothers arms, she was startled by the next words out of Shelby's mouth. "Beth, this is your big sister, Rachel. Rachel, meet your little sister…Beth."

Rachel had never made that connection before the fact that she and Beth would technically be related. She looked at her mother who was beaming with pride at this moment where her two daughters were officially being acquainted. Rachel couldn't help but return the smile to both of them. "Hi, Beth…it's so nice too meet you again." She rose from her chair to approach the two, "You have grown up so much since the last time I saw you."

Rachel knew the small child didn't understand her words but the mischievous glint so familiar to Rachel clued her in that Beth at the least understood the tone of the room. "Sissy!" Beth laughed before stretching her arms outward towards her big sister. Without thinking twice as if the action had been done hundreds of times before, both woman shifted their bodies until Beth now rested comfortably in Rachel's arms.

The love Rachel felt for the child hadn't diminished over the last two years but seemed to grow exponentially as she spent time with the baby. The trio would spend the next precious few hours together, enjoying one another's company. A woman who got the chance to be with both her daughters. A teenager who got to finally get the reconnection with her mother that she thought she didn't ever need. And a child who knew she was loved by the two women with her.

**AN: Wow, I had planned so much more for this chapter but the whole conversation between Shelby and Rachel took a lot longer than I thought plus the unexpected flashback added in and I realized that all of what was original planned for this chapter wasn't going to fit (not if I wanted to keep it under 5000+ words). Since there isn't much action going on in this chapter, more of a character driven chapter than plot driven, I figured I would just post this up. Please review if you like…I hate to beg but I am not ashamed to do so.**

**As I was looking for a new Puckleberry fic to read, I came across a story with a similar premise as this one (meaning zombies)…it was published on the same day so please no reviews on how I stole an idea. It is very well written and if you even like my story a little, I would recommend it. It's called Look What Happened by chasingfireflies. It is a Puckleberry friendship (maybe we can convince her too make it more?). It only has one chapter so far and I will probably not read it until my story is complete so I don't accidently plagiarize any of her ideas but from what I did read it looks really good…maybe it will be my motivation to keep going until this story is finished. Hope you enjoyed this chapter…show it by reviewing please. ****J**


	3. Chapter 2 Part 1: Home Run

**Disclaimer: Shocking, I'm sure but I don't own Glee! Hope you enjoy!**

**Thanks to:**

**Bonesluver – double thanks for taking the time to review not once but twice so far in this story. I love your reviews, there so detailed and give me warm fuzzies. Please don't hesitate in pointing out any mistakes…I try to reread the chapter a few times before posting but as you already know things slip by. I hope you enjoy this chapter which is in Puck's POV. A little action (tiny tiny bit…you may have to squint to find it) but also some more emotional stuff…soon it should be mostly action just got to set the stage first.**

**Ang-Vamp – I was going to beg and plead from you where you found the other zombie fics (I thought I looked everywhere)…but I know it will be too much of a temptation to go read them and either a) accidently bleed any story lines from their fic to mine or b) totally satisfy my urge for this particular scenario and end up not finishing this story. So promise me that as soon as you read the epilogue of this story (already have one in mind…that's a good sign right?) you will immediately contact me with the list of all Puckleberry zombie fics. Thanks so much for the wonderful review.**

**I'm deeply flattered by your reviews, I hope you continue to enjoy my take on the zombie genre.**

**AN: As promised, here is the first day from McKinley High. Hope I did justice to Sue Sylvester's role. This is only Part 1 of Chapter 2…it was getting ridiculous long (over 7000 words so I decided to shorten it). And it was tough…I seriously had to work hard on it. Ugh, very tired now!**

_Italics = Flashbacks _

**Chapter 2 – Part 1**

Day One (Ohio):

Puck was totally taking advantage of the fact that his girlfriend wasn't in school today. Sure, he loved his Berry girl (yeah, he admits it…at least in his head) but since they had started dating right before Senior year, she insisted that he attend all his classes…including Math.

Okay, so he had been doing better in school since Beth was born during his sophomore year. Her birth was like an awakening or some shit. He knew that he would never be the father to Beth like he wanted to be but sometime in the future…hopefully distant future…there would be more mini-Pucks running around and he wanted everything to be right, the way it's supposed to be which is anything besides being another Lima loser…a disappointment to them.

Plus, if Beth ever did come lookin' for her father, well he wanted to prove to her that it wasn't all in vain. Like if he was still stuck in this dump, than giving her up had meant nothing but if he actually made something of himself, than it would in some small way make up for letting her go and make her proud of him (he knows that's fucked up…or as Rachel put it a 'circular argument' but it was just one of many things that fucked him up when thinkin' about his kid).

Rachel, in a long fifteen minute tirade, made him understand that the first step in getting out of Lima would be to actually go to class. So his grades have been lookin' up since the beginning of his Junior year but until he started havin' a midget Napoleon ridin' his ass (not that he complained, Ms. Bossy Pants was hot), he had still occasionally skipped in his Junior year, old habits died hard. It helped that Rachel was in his Math class this last year at McKinley High, and that she still loved those short pleated skirts. Even in the dead of winter, she still wore those babies…and he loved her all the more for it. Anytime he even got the inclination to just getting up and heading to the nurses office, all he had to do was look over at his girl and her school girl skirts. He had several spank bank fantasies (his favorite, The Good Girl Gone Bad starring one devilish handsome math teacher, Mr. Puckester and the hot 'disruptive in class' Jew school girl, Berrylicious) already in rotation so he spent the hour long class perfecting them for later usage and this way it was easier for him to keep himself occupied (not too occupied cause that would be embarrassing…and he wasn't Finn).

So, yeah…back to current events. He was skipping Math for the first time as a Senior. The school nurse didn't seem all that surprised to see him…just waved him to the back where the cot was set up. He felt a little guilty at first but after remembering the pitying look Finn had given him when Puck showed him Rachel's text (the man-boy actually flinched and given him a pitying look…pussy), he had a feeling he would need his rest. So right before falling asleep, he thought about how after school he would go to the store and pick some stuff up that would make his girl feel better…does vegan soup in a can even exist? He would definitely pick up a grape flavored slushie for her.

It wasn't more than half an hour later when something woke him up. He tried to just roll over and fall back asleep when he realized he still had about twenty minutes before he had to get up for his next class but the sudden uproar coming from the front caused him to sit up and listen.

"Shit, shit, shit. This shit hurts. Fuckin' bitch." Puck recognized the panicked voice of one of his teammates…Brian.

"Mr. Walker, you have to calm down and show me where you were hurt." The elder woman chastised.

"She bit me…I can't believe she fuckin' bit me, who does that? I said I was sorry for almost running her over."

"What were you doing out of school anyway?"

"It's my free period…I went to the Kwik Shop to grab some dip and a slushie. Fuckin' crazy bitch." Puck hoped Walker hadn't flipped his lid and called the nurse that otherwise he could kiss his free period goodbye for the rest of year.

Puck got up at this point and walked towards the front, curiosity making it impossible for him to fall back asleep.

Brian was on the portable exam table with his shirt off and the nurse was cleaning what looked like a gaping bloody hole in his shoulder. "Holy shit, Brian." were the only words that came to mind at the disgusting sight.

Brian startled and looked up at his teammate, "I know, right? The bitch took a chunk out of me, chomped right through my shirt and just munched away like I was a drumstick."

Before either could say anything else, the nurse turned to Puck, "Go get Principal Figgins."

Brian interrupted before she could continue, "Why? I didn't do anything wrong. She was right in the middle of the freakin' road…just standing there."

The nurse laid her hand on the unwounded shoulder, "She attacked you, and we need to notify Principal Figgins and your parents…so they can decide whether or not to call the police about the assault. Plus, we need to take you to the hospital and have this checked. There's only so much I can do here. How long ago did it happen? Did you recognize her?"

Puck could only stare at the unsightly mess. Seriously, there was a huge crater like wound on the other boy's shoulder. Whoever had done this had a huge chunk of meat in their mouths. The thought almost made him want to lose his breakfast.

Brian shook his head, "I don't know, I left right after second period and the Kwik Shop is only a few minutes away but I stopped and chatted with the clerk…he was on the football team a few years back and wanted to talk about his fuckin' glory days…and I had to bullshit with him cause…ummm' Puck knew exactly who Brian was talking about…former teammate who didn't mind selling alcohol to teenagers…all you gotta do is pay a little extra for the booze and nod your head when the wannabe started flapping his lips. Brian avoided telling the nurse that, '…it happened on my way back so maybe forty minutes…tops? She was all messed up like she had been on a major bender or was on some serious shit. Meth does that right?…fucks up your face and shit?"

"Mr. Walker, you need to watch your language.' She turned again back to Puck, "Why are you still here Mr. Puckerman…please go get Principal Figgins."

Puck nodded, still slightly sickened by the scene but unable to look away from the grisly bite. He had to literally shake himself out of his stupor and left the nurses office to head over to the principal's office. He had only walked a few feet before the feedback whine of the school intercom coming on and then the voice of the man he had been charged with to find came over the speakers.

"All students and faculty please report to the gym, immediately." The accented voice spoke clearly and Puck could tell a little flustered. The reason for the man's frustration became clearer when McKinley Highs resident queen bitch took over.

"THAT MEANS NOW, YOU PLEABS! ANYONE NOT IN THE GYM WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE MINUTES WILL EXPERIENCE THE MOST HORRIFYING TORTURE THAT'LL MAKE VIETNAM VETS SOIL THEMSELVES. DO YOU KNOW INHALING FRIDGED H2O WILL MAKE YOUR LUNGS BURN LIKE AN OVERDONE HOTDOG ON YOUR DADDY'S GRILL…YOU WILL IF YOU DON'T GET YOUR ASSES TO THE GYM, PRONTO!"

"Sue, you can't threaten.." the now distant voice of the school principle tried to interrupt.

"CAN IT, FIGGY…THAT MEANS YOU TOO." And with another sharper abrupt whine that made his bones cringe, the intercom went silent and before the echo of the noise disappeared the halls were filled with students and faculty members, rushing to that location. He watched with some amusement as some of the Cherrios were actually sprinting towards the gym like their skirts were on fire.

He just went with flow of his fellow students…after all, Coach Sylvester would probably drag the smaller man to the gym faster than Puck could get to his office so instead of risking the chance of a waterboarding session conducted by the cheerleading coach, he followed the crowd.

But he was still Puck and took his time arriving…precisely ten seconds before the five minutes were up. The bleachers were filled to capacity already and a few of the students and teachers were left standing along the sides of the big room. Coach Sylvester, her sidekick Cherrio Becky, and Principle Figgins stood in front of the gathered population of McKinley High.

Since he was told to, he didn't stand with the rest but calmly walked towards them to deliver the nurses message. As he finally reached the shorter man, Coach turned to him and in her normal tone (LOUD) asked, "Puckerman, what the hell do you think you're doing? Get back over there with your fellow half-wits and take a seat."

Clearing his throat, "Coach, I actually came for Principal Figgins. Nurse Reynolds sent me. Brian Walker was attacked on his way back from the Kwik Shop and she thinks that his parents should be called."

Puck only saw it because the woman was standing next to his principal but even than he wasn't sure what he saw was real…it was a slight shift in her features…an expression that the teenager had never seen on the this woman's face and probably no one else had ever seen or been able to identify before. It was gone before Puck could really describe it and the hard ass bitch he was used to came back.

Before anything more could be done, Mr. Shuester and Ms. Pillsbury walked over to them. "Sue, what's going on? There isn't supposed to be a rally today."

"I don't have time for your whiney voice right not, Will. Or for you, Ms. Bug Eyes. Puck, you're with me. Figgy make sure no one leaves…or else that little tidbit I found about you and the Mexican cab driver will become common knowledge state wide by the nine o'clock news." Without waiting for confirmation she handed her bullhorn to the cheerleader standing next to her. "Becky, I want you to find out where everyone here has been since they came to school this morning…got it?"

"Yes, coach."

Becky's coach (or mentor depending on how you looked at the odd but endearing bond between the two) nodded at the small girl, 'Start with the Cherrios and the athletic teams. If they haven't left the building since this morning, have them help you with the rest of the maggots."

"Right away, coach." With the bullhorn tucked under her arm and a clipboard grasped firmly, the cheerleader ran over to a group of Cherrios to start asking the strange questions.

Not waiting to see if her 'orders' would be carried out; the tall woman started walking away from the group. Puck followed, he didn't think he had a choice. He wasn't surprised when Mr. Shuester and Ms. Pillsbury followed (her slightly more reluctant). Once Sylvester cleared the double doors leading out of the gym, his Spanish teacher started up. "Sue? What's going on? Did something happen? Has there been a threat?"

The woman scoffed, "You have no idea the shit storm that's coming."

The three following stopped in their tracks momentarily, surprised by the woman's words. Coach Sylvester was about to turn down another hallway before they realized the fact and quickly moved to catch up.

At the next hallway, one of the janitors who had been wheeling a large wire basket usually used to hold basketballs stood to attention as the woman approached. Puck almost laughed of that sight but only shook his head…there had been a few times during his high school educational career where he would see this woman come baring down the hallway and the urge to stand at the ready like some military cadet saluting a general would almost overtake him. Unlike Coach Tanaka…Sylvester was someone who might be able to seriously damage his handsome face (he still had his penis though so not really but like his mom and Rachel repeatedly told him…he wasn't stupid, he wasn't going to test the theory). That one time his former football coach had grabbed his shirt and started bitchin' at him on how important Acafellas was to him and blah, blah, and blah, Puck had to work hard at keeping the smirk off his face (there was a little smirk but his football coach at the time didn't seem to notice). The man could scream at him all he wants but Puck knew that he was all bark with no bite…man was soft all over, no way he could seriously take on the Puckerman's Fists of Fury. If Coach Sylvester had done that to him…most guys would probably pee in their pants (not him though, he was still the BAMF of McKinley High).

His gaze moved to the contents of the basket and realized that its usual contents had been switched out with baseball bats, hockey sticks, even mallets for that lame ass game with the colored balls. Without acknowledging the old dude or breaking her fast pace, Coach grabbed one of the baseball bats sticking out the top of the case.

"SUE? What the…? What are you doing with that bat?" Shuester exclaimed, trying to figure out the woman's motives but continued to ignore him despite repeated efforts.

They had just turned into the next hallway when Puck saw their destination and without knocking, Sylvester barged into the nurses' station before bring the bat up and now holding it with two hands. The three following crowded around the doorway waiting to see what her next action would be but he was sure they all had the same idea…bitch was bat shit crazy. Puck was surprised that the rooms now stood empty…did the nurse take Brian to the hospital without waiting for Figgins?

"Sue, I don't know what's going on but you need to answer my…." Mr. Shuester tried to get some response from the unmoving cheerleading coach but was interrupted by strange sounds coming from the curtained back area that Puck had just been taking a nap at less than half an hour ago. There was something about that sound that made all of them freeze, something primeval (YES!…he was dating Berry…her language was bound to rub off on him at some point…though he preferred other more tangible things to be rubbed). It made his spine tingle (the noise…not the rubbing, at least not at that moment).

"What is that sound?" For the first time, Ms. Pillsbury spoke, actually whispering and turning her head to try and hear better.

To Pucks ears, the sound was…wet with a little squishy mix in. There was no other way to describe it except for…it sounded like when right after practice, he was so hungry he could eat anything and his mom had just gotten some KFC and he just dug in not caring about manners despite his mom yelling at him that he was a pig. But it was the nurses room, she didn't like people bringing in any food in there since she would just have to disinfect everything again so that couldn't be it.

Mr. Shuester, Ms. Pillsbury and Puck stayed close to the door trying to identify the sounds while Coach, still holding the bat like she was going to hit a home run, approached the curtain that sectioned off the room into two parts. In a split section, the older woman threw back the curtain and stepped back as if prepping to swing.

Initially, Puck didn't see anything, how very anticlimactic even though he wasn't sure what he was waiting for…the cot he had been napping was still there…empty but the sounds became louder and he was able to make out the direction they were coming from. It took a moment for him to fully understand what he was seeing…it wasn't something you saw everyday…but once it became clear what was going on in the far corner of the room, the same three words slipped out…like a fucked up déjà vu, "Holy shit, Brian?" At the corner of his eye, he saw Ms. Pillsbury cover her mouth in shock and Mr. Shuester eyes widen while his jaw dropped.

There in the corner of the room was Brian on top of Nurse Reynolds. Normally, an off colored joke would escape but the fact that Brian's mouth was covered in blood and pieces of flesh and that the sixty plus year old woman's body wasn't struggling against the biting and tearing of her flesh…her eyes wide, glassy and permanently fixated on one spot in the room, stopped any thought process he would have been capable of. The blood from the throat wound was slowly seeping outwards and staining the knees of the teenage boy who didn't seem to care, he just kept…eating. And the stomach turning sound of ripping and chewing, Puck thought back to his favorite dinner from KFC and vowed that he was becoming vegan like Berry effective immediately.

Sylvester kept her hands firmly gripped on the bat and never took her eyes off of Brian. "Take a good look, Will.' She said softly, and with what Puck thought regret in her voice, 'This…is our new reality."

Before anyone could say another word, they watched as Brian raised his head and sniffed the air before focusing his gaze on the closest individual in the room. His mouth opened wider, his eyes having lost all color and looking feral, and a territorial hiss like sound escaped the boy's mouth, spewing spit and smaller pieces of the nurse onto the floor. Puck could see the chewed up flesh and muscle that the boy had been feasting on just hanging limply inside the recesses of his mouth. Puck would have lost his breakfast if his brain could make sense of the surreal scene.

With a growl, Brian released his meal letting her flop clumsily to the floor. The student started to move towards the tall woman but before he even had time to climb over the still unmoving body of Nurse Reynolds, the coach swung her bat like a seasoned pro and with a crack hitting the teenager squarely across his forehead. The force of the impact flung the boy away from the body he had been on and slumped against the wall. Puck could see the smashed in skull of his teammate and he knew there was no way anyone could have survived it.

The trio continued to stand there in shock. McKinley Highs most successful cheerleading coach had just 'brained' a teenage student. No words escaped this time…there was a small part of Puck that was worried the crazy bitch would turn that bat against him. He watched, along with Mr. Shuester and Ms. Pillsbury who hadn't said a word as Sue moved towards a bench where cotton swabs, tongue depressors and other medical paraphernalia was laid out. From a cardboard box, she pulled out two blue non-latex gloves before leaning the bat against her hip and putting them on. Grabbing the bat again with one hand, she moved towards the two bodies warily. She crotched down next to the nurse and placed her free hand against the side of the neck that hadn't been torn open. She sighed, but with regret or relief Puck couldn't tell.

She stood again, a little more relaxed. "She's dead." No emotion just a matter of fact.

Choking back sobs, Ms. Pillsbury repeated dumbly, "Dead?"

Coach Sylvester nodded, "Lucky bitch."

Mr. Shuester took a sharp intake of breath, "What the hell, Sue?' Puck couldn't help raise his eyebrows at his teachers usage of 'bad' language, "She's dead…how is that lucky?"

"Because Will, she won't turn into that." She stated matter of fact using the bat to point at the teenager.

His mom (and Rachel) was always telling him that he was smart…that he only needed to apply himself. At this moment, he was a little slow on the uptake but finally he understood. His mind became snap shots of the images he just witnessed…flashing repeating like a fucked up photo slideshow set on fast, he could barely keep up with them before his shocked gaze turned towards the tall woman. "This can't be happening."

Coach smiled at him, not the evil smirk smile that rivaled his own he used to sport during his early years at McKinley, but a slightly softer one, "I'm glad someone's finally caught on."

She was wrong…he wasn't quite there yet but close. Puck's brain continued to replay the scene over and over again but instead of a slideshow, they were moving pictures in his head like it was taped on his DVR…rewind, playing only to rewind and start all over, his brain still trying to make sense of it.

Without realizing, he began to shake his head back and forth, stepping backwards out of the room and into the long hallway until his back hit the line of lockers directly facing the door leading to the scene he was desperately trying to comprehend. He had to lean forward until his hands rested against his knees and his head dropped as he took deep breaths to try to calm himself the fuck down. The scene he just witnessed started to be mixed in with campy shots of movies and video games. The sounds of something eating human flesh, the dark red almost black blood pooling on a white sterile floor, the eyes that were coated in a white blue film…dead but at the same time predatorily, hell even the campy anticipated revelation of the grisly scene with a slamming of a door or the sweeping of the curtain raced through his mind. Scenarios just like this one that Hollywood and the game industry thrived in. He was dreaming…he spent too much time last night playing video games or he stayed up late watching a scary movie…this was too much like that so it couldn't possibly be real.

He didn't feel the comforting hand of the red headed guidance counselor on his back, he didn't hear his Glee club instructor asking him if he was okay and to just take deep breaths…the images just kept repeating itself over and over again. It wasn't until he managed to raise his head and look at the woman who stood in front of him with the bloody bat casually hanging at her side when everything started to click in place but he still refused to say the word…as if by denying it, it would keep all of this in the fictional world. The nurses door was now closed and she stood in front of it as if daring him to remember the scene that he just witnessed, the scene that was now hidden from view…daring him to say the word. What word? His brain still hadn't acknowledged it but without any conscious effort on his part, his lips moved forcing two puffs of air out to distinguish the syllables and before he realized it, it was out.

"Zombies."

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter…show it by reviewing please. Please don't make me beg…it's a very sad sight to witness.**

**Part 2 is almost complete…just need to tweek it a little, maybe add another scene or two since it was original supposed to be all one big chapter. **


	4. Chapter 2 Part 2: I Believe in Sylvester

**Disclaimer: Shocking, I'm sure but I don't own Glee! Hope you enjoy!**

**AU: Kurt never went to Dalton! As stated earlier I was thinking about still including Blaine…after seeing Bills, Bills, Bills…that is most definitely going to happen. It was AWESOME!**

**Thanks to:**

**Bonesluver – I was going for gruesome so I'm glad I accomplished it. And hopefully there will be a lot more violence and death and mayhem coming soon. I know I haven't put a lot of the other Glee kids in yet but I do have plans. Plus, next chapter…Florida!**

**Nova802 – I am so psyched that you like this story. I've read almost all of yours and LOVE them. It will be a long journey for Rachel…if she manages to get by the zombies that is. There is lots planned…hopefully all good stuff. **

**Ang-Vamp – I LOVE cupcakes! They are a tasty treat especially when watching/reading zombie fics…like wine and cheese. Another chapter with an emotional Puck…but next time we see our favorite Mohawk teen…I PROMISE to have him lead a daring rescue. **

**I'm deeply flattered by your reviews, I hope you continue to enjoy my take on the zombie genre.**

**AN: Here is the second part of Chapter 2…Florida will be Chapter 3 (and the way that is going will most likely be broken up in parts too…isn't the first day the best part of any zombie movie?). Please enjoy and review! **

_Italics = Flashbacks _

**Chapter 2 – Part 2**

Day One (Ohio):

_He was drunk…fuck that he was wasted. And he didn't really give a shit either. He had started the day faking the whole being okay crap, tried to ignore the sad looks everyone kept giving him (at least from those that gave a shit) but once school was out…that was it. He had no reason to hide…he had nowhere TO hide from his thoughts. As surprising as it was, school helped keep his thoughts from wandering to exactly what today was. For almost anyone else, it should have been a good day…the day to celebrate the birth of a kid._

_What else was he supposed to do…lie in bed and cry like a little sissy bitch? Fuck that, he was a bad ass mother fucker…he was Puck. It wasn't until after football practice, where he had taken special enjoyment in tackelin' his fellow teammates into the field, all in the name of football…right? that he realized that he shouldn't be sad or depressed about it….fuck they should be celebrating. Never mind that she wasn't there, she was somewhere and he hoped she was having the best day ever with her new family (Shelby was a hot cougar…it wouldn't be long before some guy snatched that hot ass up and officially replaced him in Beth's life). _

_What better way to celebrate than with alcohol so he went to the Kwik Shop, used his fake id to get a shit load of some cheap crap (the clerk knew he was underage but an extra twenty added to the total shut his cakehole), found a nice secluded spot at the park, far enough away from prying eyes but close enough to home that he could walk his drunk ass to later and attempted to replace all the liquids in his body with alcohol._

_So yeah, he was completely wasted. Only problem was…the shit wasn't working. He was practically paralyzed from all the alcohol coursin' through his body but his brain wouldn't shut the fuck up. Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if he didn't have the memories of his little sister and her first year. Cause now, he could easily imagine the same things happening with his little girl. Her first tooth and how much it would hurt her and how he wouldn't be there to comfort her. The first time she rolled over, the first time she would do the funny butt rockin' and then finally crawling. He remembered that his sisters first word was Dada, even though the fucker had never even been there. His mother told him it had something to do with it being the easiest sound a kid could make at that age, still pissed him off than that his sis started with that, instead of Mama or even Puck but within two months, he made sure that she soon learned both (though it sounded more like Fuck and got him in trouble ever time she said it…which was a lot). Beth would probably do the same, but unlike his dad, he wanted to hear her say it…he wanted to BE there. _

_When was this supposed to get easier? That's what his mom kept telling him. It would get easier. Was she saying that shit for him or herself? And how the fuck exactly was it supposed to get easier? Wasn't every year special for a kid? For a parent? _

_Surviving the terrible twos and then the even more horrible threes…preschool, kindergarten, first grade moving onto high school and then college. _

_Their first smile, their first laugh and their first temper tantrum. _

_Their first haircut, their first time picking out an uncoordinated outfit and their first time tryin' makeup. _

_Their first day at school, their first gold star, their first rendition of the ABCs and their first time reading a book to you instead of the other way around._

_Their first best friend and their first heartache when said best friend pushes them in the play ground because the popular kids told them that it was the only way to be a part of their exclusive club. _

_Their first mean teacher, their first A, their first C, their first F, their first grounding. _

_Their first bike ride with trainees, their first bike ride without them, their first nerve rackin' driving lesson, their first license, their first car, their first fender bender. _

_Their first job, their first paycheck, their first promotion and their first resignation/firing. _

_Their first party, their first drink and their first hangover. _

_Their first boyfriend, their first date and their first school dance. _

_Their first puppy love, their first true love and their first lost love. _

_It was all there, every year meant something special…some 'first' that was experienced and needed to be remembered…cause isn't that what part of growing up was about…isn't that what LIFE was about…a series of firsts no matter how good or bad that experience may have been._

_Puck knew life came with its ups and downs and raising a kid, even if he hadn't been sixteen but much older would not all be kittens and rainbows. He helped raise his little sister. He knew everything that came with a kid. He knew Shelby had her work cut out for her…after all, it was his kid…no matter what the adoption papers said…Beth was a Puckerman and if he and his little sister was anything to go by…Shelby should be experiencing her first gray hair about now._

_Puck chuckled at the thought and then groaned as he turned onto his side. Alcohol always did make him a little philosophical…yeah, and it made his vocabulary more extensive too. Something like how a person can't play pool worth a shit sober, but put a couple of drinks into them and suddenly their hustling college students out of their tuition money (Brittany…enough said)._

_He had to get up. He can't remember exactly how long he had been there but the sky was completely dark and it was starting to get a little chilly. Plus, his mom would be worried and she worried enough that he couldn't bear to make it worse. He groaned as he sat up and picked up his shit, tossing out the empties and heading to his truck. He was glad he remembered to throw his letterman jacket in the bed before locking his keys inside the cab so he wouldn't do anything really stupid. His mom had a spare just for these instances. He'd pick his truck up sometime tomorrow probably before class started._

_Feeling a little warmer and a little more mobile…he began walking. Another thing about him and alcohol…his sense of direction would get all fucked up. Sometime later, he realized that he had been heading down the wrong side of the street so now he was about an hours walk from home instead of the few minutes. He stood there dazed barely recognizing the neighborhood he had wandered into. The houses were bigger in this neighborhood…bigger lawns too; all nice and pretty with the perfectly cut grass and the perfectly weeded flower beds with driveways that looked newly paved not cracked and uneven like his. Bet none of this fuckers' worked as hard as his mom…she spent more time away from home than in it...just to keep the fuckin' roof over their heads and food on the table all because of the asshole that fathered him and his sis didn't have the balls to deal with the responsibility of raising a family._

_Puck was about to go to a really dark place, one he had visited many times before since his dad left them but rustling next to him caused him to turn. One of those perfectly trimmed hedges shook and if he had been sober, he probably would have at least stepped away but instead he just watched the tiny leaves shake back and forth before something sprinted past him at warp speed. He watched the dark mass cross the street out of sheer curiosity…before he had to blink rapidly by the blinding light that flashed on as the figure moved passed one of the driveways. Weren't those things supposed to be set so that small animals couldn't trigger it…must have been a big cat…or dog. Was it a big cat or little dog? Now his inebriated brain was curious…he searched the lighted area to see if he could find out._

_And there it was…his very own Burning Bush on Mount Horeb…but for Puck, it was in the shape of a small gold compact car. The light attached to the garage shone right on top of it, making it sparkle like a Star of David (not only does drinkin' make him philosophical but also helps in finding his religion obviously). It was the Star of David thought that helped remind him whose car it was…he remembered the necklace from his long ago dream and how it shone like it had a light of its own against the tan smooth skin of her chest._

_It hit him…she would understand exactly what a fucked up day it was today. After all, wasn't today the one year anniversary of the day she last saw the woman who gave birth to her? The day that she had been replaced by a new baby was the same day he had been replaced as a parent. She would understand what he was going through…more than even Quinn would, who practically signed the papers before Beth was even out of her stomach. He and Berry ultimately didn't have a choice in the end; she couldn't get her mom to stay and he couldn't keep his daughter._

_Before he knew it, he stumbled across the street, up the driveway and almost tripped over the few steps leading to her front door. He hesitated for a few moments befor knocking on the red door. He could hear movement inside before a gap appeared in the curtain that otherwise hid the interior from visitors. He saw the doe like eyes of his fellow Jew before they disappeared. He panicked in the split second between that and the sound of a lock turning before the door opened. He couldn't help but let the look of pain be expressed in his own eyes as the small woman stood in front of him._

"_Noah." It was said softly almost a whisper…not a question wondering why he had shown up at her door or in disappointment over his obvious state of intoxication, just a statement of his presence as if she was expecting him._

_Years of habit formed his next words, "S'up, Berry."_

_She didn't say a word, only opened the door wider allowing him to enter her home. It turned out that that was pretty much the only thing she did say to him the whole night (she did briefly call his mom to let her know that he was safe and sound). It was so unlike her…the diva with strong 'suggestions' and opinions but in some way it was exactly like her to go against what any other person would have done._

_She just sat there next to him at first and as his 'manly' sobs grew worst, she cradled his head against her shoulder, softly stroking his hair alternating between the short stubble and the soft hair forming his 'hawk, just allowing him to express everything he kept bottled up for the past year. All the thoughts and feelings that had plagued him that day came pouring out with no filter. He didn't feel like he had to hide anything from her…he didn't know why exactly but her actions released him from any self-imposed restrictions he had given himself on anything related to his daughter. He was Puck to the outside world…to his mom, the reason he became Puck in the first place since his dad left them and forced a young boy to grow up faster than he should have…to put on a brave tough exterior so that his mom wouldn't worry about him having abandonment issues; to his sister who needed to see someone strong, someone who would stick by her, someone she could look up to since the man who had run away was to chicken shit to stick around; to Quinn, who, no matter how hard he tried to prove otherwise, in words and in action…still thought he was a Lima loser; to everyone else, who saw the same thing as Quinn did just because his mom was rarely home, because his dad had skipped out on his family or just because…he was Puck. _

_Rachel had always seen him as Noah even when he tortured her on a daily basis with slushies and cruel taunts. He didn't know why…it was Rachel…she always did things differently from everyone else and didn't care what anyone thought._

_The next morning, when he got to school…'Puck' had returned in all his bad ass glory. It would be almost another year before he would acknowledge the girl as something more than a classmate or even a friend. That her actions the night of Beth's first birthday had meant so much more than he could even wrap his head around and the only way he repaid her for being there for him when no one else could was to buy her favorite flavored slushie. The smile she gave him after her first sip of the corn syrup concoction let him know that it was all the thanks she needed._

The light headedness disappeared soon after the two-syllable word escaped his mouth as if by saying the truth the pressure caused by holding it back released him to breathe and think clearer. He was finally able to stand up right without feeling like he was going to throw up.

"Puck, That's not possible." His guidance counselor tried to say.

"Oh, wake up and smell the fetid smell of rotting flesh, Pippi Longstocking. Can your Windex poisoned brain come up with any other rational reason on what just happened?" Before the younger woman could reply to the insult, Sue Sylvester raised her hand silencing him, "Don't bother…I don't have time for this. I have a gym filled with teenagers that I have to convince…and I'm pretty sure they'll get a clue before you do."

Will Shuester didn't even acknowledge the taunt thrown at the woman he was falling in love with. "How much time do we have?"

The coach quickly covered up her shock with her response. "That depends, Will.' She turned her intense gaze back to the teenager. 'You were in the office when Walker came in?' he nodded his reply, "Tell me what you know."

He kept his answer short, just giving the facts as he knew them. That Walker had come in after some lady had bitten him. "He was gone for third period and it's almost lunch now…so about an hour…maybe a little over."

Sylvester nodded, "Just as I thought…takes about an hour before infection sets in…than its Hungry, Hungry Flesh Eating Hippo."

"What does that mean?" Mr. Shuester asked curious still not quite believing what was going on.

"McKinley High is just on the rim of the town's borders…which buys us some time but not much. Those 'sickos' are opportunistic…as long as there is food around, they won't wander far but as soon as it starts getting scarce or their prey starts running away they'll start following their walking all-you-can-eat buffet."

"Food? Like people?" Ms. Pillsbury said.

Puck could see the coach clenching her teeth trying to reign in the tirade that she normally wouldn't hold back when dealing with these two individuals. She didn't succeed. "Listen to me very carefully, you may not agree on what went on in that room, but you sure as hell know that something happened to those two people. If you want to make up some lame fantasy that will get you through the day…hell, throw some glitter on him and call it true love...I don't give a flyin' shit…but we CANNOT let anyone leave until we're ready…because whoever or whatever did this to Brian is still out there chomping on some other poor unsuspecting slobs…and in about an hour…those unlucky bastards will be chomping on someone else. By this time tomorrow, the whole town will be infected and running around looking for some yummy tasty treat. Either way, right now, this is the safest place to be…but it won't be if we don't get our asses in gear."

No one was more shocked than Coach Sylvester when the Glee instructor whispered, "I believe you, Sue."

Ms. Pillsbury's eyes grew even more unnatural wide at the soft sound, "Will, you can't be serious?"

"Well, I'll be damned…welcome to the party, mop-head."

Puck ignored them as her words registered. Shit…he had to get out of here. Before he realized he was walking away from the trio.

He didn't even pause when his name was called, his eyes set firmly on the double glass doors that signaled his escape. "Where do you think you're going, Puckerman?"

He ignored the question and continued walking, he only needed a few more feet before he could slam down on the bar and he would be out. A firm grip grabbed him by the bicep which surprised him temporarily to halt. "I asked you a question."

He looked into the steel eyes, "My mom…sis…Berry." He could only rattle out those three words, his brain was working overtime…again…all he could think about were the three women in his life and how he had to go get them…protect them.

Her grip tightened, "And afterwards? After you find them…what will you do?"

Puck shook his head, did it matter?…he could figure that shit out later…right now, he just wanted to see them…make sure they were all okay.

"You will have nowhere to go…this disease, it's already spreading…there's no way to stop it and we aren't the only ones…soon the whole world is going to turn into shit. If you leave now, not only do you risk yourself but them too. It's not too late…your sister, she younger than you right?"

He nodded, "And your mom, where is she?"

"She…she works nights so she would be at home…sleeping." He stated mechanically.

"And the Diva?"

"She's sick…at home."

"Okay, the grade school isn't too far from here, only a few blocks over and unlike the walking hormones here, those kids can't drive to grab a snack…right?"

"I…I guess."

"Both your mom and Berry are at home…they probably haven't left and don't have any reason to get up and leave at least for a few hours right?"

He nodded again.

"I need your help, Puck.' He locked eyes with the older woman, seeing a steel resolve that would rival his girlfriends at her most diva-like moments. 'I need help convincing the putzes of this backwatered school. Short of dragging everyone by the nurse's office, I have no way of proving what you already know."

"Then what?" He asked quietly.

"Then we start making this school impenetrable…using whatever we got to make that happen so that anyone inside of it…is safe. Than…than you can go find your sis and mom…and as much as I dislike the little troll…Berry and bring them here…where it's safe."

He paused for a few moments, Coach was right…even if he managed to find them where would he take his girls? In every movie he had seen about zombies (with the exception for Shawn of the Dead…and since that was more of a comedy, he wasn't going to count it), there was nowhere to hide from it. Usually the characters found out too late…but they still had time…they had their warning via one Brian Walker. If she could get the rest of the student body and the teachers to work together, they could make the school some kind of temporary safe zone at least until they could come up with better options.

He nodded before another question escaped his lips. "How are you going to get everyone else to believe this shit?"

"Now, there lies my dilemma…my good looks and amazing talent can only get me so far. I'd figure those who don't believe…I'll just torture them until they do. Never underestimate the power of pulling fingernails off with a pair of pliers, Puckerman…it gets results." She looked over at where Mr. Shuester and Ms. Pillsbury were arguing…he trying to convince her that zombies did exist and her shaking her head severely against it, and suddenly the evil smile returned. "Damn, I left my good pliers at home."

While Sylvester's attention was occupied, Puck reached into his pocket and pulled out his cellphone to check the time. It was a little after eleven…he tried to ignore the panicked thoughts of his sister at her school. It would be less than an hour before lunch…a time where the kids will be out on the playground…outside. The background pic of Rachel didn't help his resolve to stay. It was a pic from their first date (corny? He dared anyone to say it too his face, he would just show them another pic stored on his phone of Karofsky and his bloody nose when the douchebag had remarked on it). Rachel had insisted that they needed one for prosperity. He had gotten up and slipped into the booth next to her after she had asked the waitress to take it. He was smirking but the smile on her face…was classic Berry, the real Berry smile and not the one she practiced in front of the mirror for future adoring fans and paparazzi.

An idea began to form. He rushed over to the trio of adults. "Ms. Pillsbury…you have the master combo for these lockers right? For when you like do illegal searches and stuff?"

The woman huffed offensively, "These lockers are school property, Puck…it's not considered an illegal…'

"What are you thinking, Puckerman?" Sue Sylvester interrupted seeing the look in the teenager's eyes.

He smirked, "That a picture is worth a thousand words."

**AN: Well, there you have it…hope you liked it. I do want to warn you, that updates may not be coming as quick. I hope to have the next chapter done by next weekend (that would be ALL of it, no matter how much I have to split it up). Please feel free to let me know what you think. Thanks**


	5. Chapter 3 Part 1: A Little Psychic

**Disclaimer: Shocking, I'm sure but I don't own Glee! Hope you enjoy!**

**Thanks to:**

**Bonesluver – I LOVED the Sue Shuffle episode…pretty much everything about it. Did you think Dave was even a bigger douche when he only joined the half time show AFTER he saw that people liked it. He so shouldn't have played. Also two instances of Puckleberry…awesome song and "Let's kick some ass!" (Who was holding Rachel back while she was kicking and screaming…Mike?) LOVED it. However, VERY disappointed with the Silly Love Song episode…I just want to scrub the whole thing from my head and pretend it never happened. As for movies, there are so many…Shawn of the Dead is awesome. 28 days later is creepier in an aftermath sort of way. Resident Evil…gotta love a chick that can totally kick ass. Also, AMCs Walking Dead series is really good…though only six episodes in but a second season has been picked up. If I remember more, I'll let you know.**

**VegZombieGrl – THANKS! I hope you continue to enjoy the inevitable long journey that Rachel has coming. Love your name by the way. **

**Ang-Vamp – I actually did get the idea for the title from Shawn of the Dead…it is my favorite zombie fic. I hope you won't be too disappointed in this chapter since it is a filler one as well (though I hope I make up for it for the light M rated flashback). But I promise…the next two parts will be action packed. And now you've made me hungry.**

**AN: Please enjoy and review! **

_Italics = Flashbacks _

**Chapter 3 – Part 1**

Day One (Florida):

Rachel was having a wonderful time with her mother and little sister. They had spent most of the morning just playing with Beth (chasing her), and Rachel couldn't help but fall in love with the little girl even more as time went by. There was one thing however she soon discovered…two year olds were exhausting.

"I don't know how any parent can keep up. Is it always like this?" Rachel sighed as she sprawled on the sofa totally drained, Beth's attention now turned to pulling out every toy from her toy box kept in the living room.

Her mother, who was equally exhausted sat next to her, "No, she's just excited to have a new attentive playmate around. She just _has_ to show you everything."

To prove her mother's point, Beth turned to Rachel holding up a cardboard story book and pointing to one of the cartoon figures on the page. "Sissy, look. Doggie!"

Rachel gave a tired smile to the toddler who then moved on to the next item in her toy box which happened to be a small guitar. Rachel shouldn't have been surprised considering the child's father was a genius with his own instrument. She watched as Beth started to play with the toy and began to sing. The words were pure gibberish but that wasn't what really caught the teenager's interest.

Rachel sat up a little straighter and cocked her head to the side in order to hear the little girl better, even going so far as covering one ear so her sense of hearing was concentrated in the other. A few moments later she turned a surprised look to her mother who had remained relaxed with only a knowing smile. It wasn't so much the words that Rachel heard, she was only able to recognize one word out of a possible four, but the way the child sung the song astonished her.

"Is she actually singing the title song to Mulan?"

"Yes."

"With a high F?"

"Yeah."

"She's two."

"Yup." Shelby said with an extra pop at the end.

Rachel was stunned. "I have been in vocal competitions and training since before I could walk and it wasn't until I was four that I mastered the high F."

Shelby gave a soft laugh, "I was six."

The toy guitar was obviously Beth's favorite toy, the one that managed to hold her attention the longest over seemingly hundreds they had gone through already. The two women took the child's occupation as a respite, just sitting on the sofa and watching.

"Rachel, you know I have to call them."

Rachel sighed. When she had first planned this trip, she expected that she would show up at her mother's door, say her piece and then leave spending the rest of her day at several nearby art museums, libraries and even a little shopping before returning to the airport for her return flight. She never expected (hoped for but never expected) that she would get the chance to reconcile with her mother and spend the whole day with her and Beth. As those plans changed, Rachel suspected that sooner or later with Shelby being a parent herself, that the woman would feel obligated to tell her daddies. "I know." Resignation laced her voice and her features.

Shelby chuckled softly at her eldest's dramatic sigh and she reached forward and tucked a strand of dark hair behind Rachel's ear, "But it can wait until after lunch…I don't have their work number and your phone's not charged."

Rachel frowned and shook her head, "Yes it is, I had it fully charged before I….Oh…no, no it isn't. And with today's modern conveniences, an individual would have no need to actually memorize a number."

"Why don't we go to the park for lunch?"

Before Rachel could respond, Beth had stopped playing and looked up hopefully at her mom, "Park?" Before Shelby could confirm or deny, Beth was nodding her head up and down. "Duckies!"

"Not until you put all your toys back in the box, Beth."

"Sissy, help me?" Beth smiled adoringly at the teenager with a twinkle of mischief in her hazel eyes.

"Of course, I'll help."

"I'll start making sandwiches and getting everything together. Rachel, is peanut butter and jelly good for you?"

"Yes, that would be lovely." As her mother turned away, Rachel cringed. She was starving. She hadn't really eaten anything since before leaving Ohio. She didn't mention earlier that morning when Shelby offered the English Muffin that she couldn't eat it since most bread products consisted of milk and eggs. But Shelby had already changed her meal plans that morning from eggs to the muffin and Rachel didn't want to be a bother. She just hoped that Shelby would pack some fruit and other items she could eat.

Rachel ended up doing most of the chore but only because Beth wanted to show her everything (again) as they went around the living room. Once that task had been completed and Shelby was putting the finishing touches on their lunch (oranges and apples included), she suggested that Rachel change her clothes into something more suitably for a few hours at the park. Lending her daughter a pair of jeans (which were slightly longer on the teenager but otherwise fit well) and a pair of tennis shoes the teenager packed away her ballet flats and skirt along with the pictures and DVDs of Beth that her mother had given her earlier in her pink trolley. Rachel got really excited at the idea of showing them to Noah, it made this trip all worthwhile even if she did get grounded until she was thirty.

Having never had the opportunity to babysit a small child, Rachel was astounded with the amount of stuff they were taking. Blankets, extra clothes for Beth, all the food…enough to feed a small army (Beth was going through a picky phase according to Shelby) and all the birds in the state, toys, etc. The large black SUV (a going away present from the Vocal Adrenaline Booster Club) easily held it all.

After strapping in Beth to her car seat, the three were soon on their way to a park about twenty minutes away, there were closer ones but Shelby had described this park as being Beth's favorite because of the large sandbox plus the small man-made lake where ducks and pigeons begged for scraps.

"You've been here a few hours and I haven't heard much about what's going on with you. How's school?" Shelby asked while still keeping her eyes on the road.

Beth was singing again in the back along with the CD that had played since the car was started but it was low enough that the two women could converse. "Well, I'm a senior so the stress of performing well has increased however I have been accepted to Julliard just as I planned."

Shelby smiled, glancing at her daughter, "Congratulations, sweetie. I know you worked hard for it. So you'll be moving to New York in the summer."

"Yes, Noah and I plan on moving a few weeks before the first semester begins."

"Noah?" Shelby became quiet. Rachel bit her lip, she hadn't meant to mention him, at least not connected to her by way of their coupleship. "Noah Puckerman?" The song had ended and there were a few seconds of tense silence before the next lyrical rendition of Teddy Bear's Picnic started.

Rachel glanced over at her mother; she hoped the woman wouldn't begin lecturing about dating the man who had gotten another girl pregnant at sixteen years old. She already had to defend Noah to her dads and how much he tried to do what's right by Beth and how much he had changed since the Babygate scandal. It had helped that her daddy had been the one Noah had come to regarding the adoption even though he was more of a tax lawyer. It proved to them that while he had made an error in judgment, he was more than willing to deal with the consequences of his actions.

Rachel was gearing up her defense against what she thought was the inevitable lecture when her mother spoke. "Okay. Does he treat you well? He hasn't pressured you into….anything, right?"

_Rachel smiled as she watched Noah through the mirrors reflection. He was leaned over with his guitar playing some random melody and fine tuning the strings. Many would be surprised to learn that she wasn't the only one in Glee club with perfect pitch. She could hear Noah hum a note and then twist the turners at the top of the guitar until the string matched that exact note. Rachel didn't think even Noah really knew which made it all the more amazing since it was pure talent and not something he was taught to do._

_Before she was completely hypnotized by the sight and sounds of Noah and his guitar, she turned from her spot to face him. "Noah, before we continue our marathon of horror flicks, we should go over and perhaps complete some of our homework assignments."_

"_Already done, babe." He said off-handily without glancing upwards._

_Rachel's eyes widen, "Excuse me?"She couldn't possible have heard correctly._

_Noah looked up and smirked at her, "Got it done during free period and just before Glee practice. Guess you got some catching up to do. S'cool…I'll wait." And with that he returned back to his guitar._

_Rachel was slightly stunned. This was the teenager that she usually had to bribe to get his homework done (usually with make out sessions and pizza) so she took a moment to register his words. "Why?"_

"_Hmm, oh, figured that you could get yours done faster without me slowing you down than we can hang out more without you busting my balls about getting it done."_

_Rachel knew there was a complement somewhere in his statement, no matter how back handed it may seem. She didn't want to get her hopes up but the fact that Noah had gotten his homework done early (without any prompting on her part) just so he could spend more 'quality' time with her…meant so much to Rachel. The stray thought that her dads wouldn't be home for a few more hours spurned the next course of action._

_Before she consciously realized her actions, she was standing up. The buttons of her blouse were undone and she was shrugging the material off of her shoulders. Noah still hadn't looked up but the sound of the zipper of her skirt in the otherwise quiet room made him pause before slowly raising his head._

_As her skirt puddle on the floor, Rachel watched as he swallowed convulsively. "That was very pro-active of you, Noah. I think you deserve an award."_

_It took a few moments for her words to sink in before he nodded eagerly. "I've been a good Puck."_

_Rachel giggled, "Yes, you have." She bit her lip slightly in shyness as she walked towards him in nothing but a matching set of rose colored cotton underwear. She knew they were probably modest by most teenage girls standards but the look in his eyes made her feel as confident as any Victoria Secret model. Just before she was standing directly in front of him, he moved his guitar and leaned it against the wall by her bed, out of the way._

"_What does this award consist of?" His voice was slightly hoarse._

"_I believe you would call this second base?" She said shyly, and before she could say anything else, Noah's shirt was on the ground and he was busy trying to kick off his shoes and unbuckle his pants at the same time. She laughed at the sight especially considering he was still sitting down. He finally stood to complete his objective and her laugh died down. He towered over her much smaller frame in just a pair of boxer briefs, she gazed at the ripple of muscles that defined his chest, the glint of gold on one of his nipples, her gaze followed downwards and she unconsciously licked her lips and shifted her stance, rubbing her thighs together to either increase or hinder the ache in her legs…she wasn't sure…all she really noticed were the dips and hollows of muscles that drew the eye downwards, the tight skin at his hip bones making a play of shadows that were like arrows shooting diagonally which would ultimately end in a vee that was hidden from her view and the fine trail of hair that followed from just below his belly button until it too was hidden by the dark blue underwear. She's reminded of the cruel taunt thrown at her in her freshman year 'Treasure Trail' (a phrase she had to search the meaning for online), and those words took on a whole new meaning…Noah's 'Treasure Trail' was a very positive thing and nothing to snicker at._

_As he drew nearer, her gaze travelled slowly upwards until she was staring at the amazing swirls of gold and green of his eyes. They darkened as he took his own chance to gaze at her body. The flush of heat that started at her cheeks and moved to her chest only seemed to make his eyes go darker._

_He raised his hands until they laid comfortable on her shoulders and began sliding them down her arms, the touch becoming softer…teasing until goose bumps followed the soft caress. When he reached just below her elbow, he reversed his actions until the gentle touches returned to their original position._

"_How do you do that?" Her breathe caught in a slight shudder._

"_Do what?" The whisper rough sending additional shivers coursing through her._

"_Touch me so lightly."_

_His voice came out deeper…rougher, "I don't know. Do you like it?"_

_She nodded and whispered, "You know I do."_

_He chuckled deeply and began moving the caresses along the sides of her bra strap, watching the parade of goose bumps form, "I can tell."_

_He kept his hands light, using only the pads of his fingers and never straying further than where the strap of the bra met the cup before moving back up. "Do you trust me, Berry?" He said reverently._

_Usually when anyone called her by her last name, including him, it was impersonal…either to simply get her attention or as a prelude of a cruel taunt but at this moment, with just the two of them, it become a sweet endearment sending a series of thrills rolling through her and concentrating on her every increasing heart rate as well as the ache between her thighs._

"_With my life." She whispered against his lips that had drawn closer and then he kissed her. She'd loved kissing him. It was always incredible. She almost wanted to thank each woman that had helped make him into an incredible kisser. Even go so far as to send 'Thank You' cookies since she was now the recipient of such a delicious sensual experience. Soft, yet urgent; gentle, yet fierce. He never concentrated on one thing, when he kissed, his whole mouth was involved. Lips, tongue even a little nip or two with his teeth. She had kissed boys before but from the first time she had kissed Noah during their brief week long relationship a few years ago, she took cues from him on how to return the kiss and if there was one thing about her, she was a very good student. Nothing else compared, not before and not since._

_He drew back and they were both panting heavily, "We'll take this slow,' he whispered, 'above the clothes. Just forget everything else and just feel, okay?"_

_She licked her lips in anticipation and nodded. He smirked and bent down slightly, wrapping his arms just below her butt and lifted her until she was a head taller than him. Rachel laughed before cupping his face and continuing the kiss. They stayed like this, savoring the feel of each other's lips, and the taste of each other for minutes that seemed like hours, before breaking apart and looking deep into each others eyes._

_His patented smirk returned before he turned them and rushed the short distance to her bed. She shrieked in amusement as a slight jump had both of them landing on the mattress, bouncing slightly; he cradling her head and angling his body slightly so as not to crush her. _

_Before their bodies stopped moving, their mouths were fused once again; the hand in her head now caressing the dark coffee colored strands of her hair and her own caressing the strip of hair of his signature mohawk as both attempted to take control over the kiss._

_His other arm wrapped around her waist drawing her closer until she was tightly pressed into his chest; the rumbling in his throat causing her to answer with her own sigh of pleasure. _

_Her own arms wrap around his shoulders forcing him nearer until he lay partial on top of her smaller frame. She could feel his hardness against her hip_

_Lack of oxygen caused Rachel to pull away slightly, taking in ragged breaths as Noah moved his kisses to her chin and then along her jaw line before languidly kissing the sensitive skin just below her ear._

_The hand that had gently cradled her head moved to the other side, caressing the soft skin of her neck before returning to the strap of her bra. Using the cotton strap as a guide his fingers glided downwards until reaching the area where it met the wider swatch of fabric. He kept the pads of his fingers just above where the cloth hid the rest from his peruse and rubbed small circles._

_It seemed like all her nerve endings centered in that unknown erogenous zone and the sensation derived from his fingertips were an electric current directly to the ache between her own thighs. While still rubbing the innocent patch of skin, his hand shifted until her breast was cupped gently in his palm, with his thumb mimicking the motion of his fingers on her nipple._

_Her body arched without intent and another moan escaped. While his one hand was gently kneading the supple breast, his lips traveled on the other side. Once again following the path of the bra strap until his lips hovered directly over her nipple. She squirmed as she felt the hot breath against her even through the cotton of her bra. It was several intense seconds as Rachel waited for what she knew was coming next…the expectation causing her to squirm. Finally she felt the gently pressure of his lips against her nipple. His mouth soon dampened the material until she felt the moisture directly on her skin. Her nipple hardened even further but soon it was replaced with his palm gently kneading the soft flesh. He kissed the skin in between before moving to the other nipple repeating the actions._

"_Noah." The whispered name fell from her lips and he shifted again. This time he was kneeling directly in between her thighs with her legs draped high over his hips. Without removing his mouth from her breast his hands glided across the smooth silky skin of her legs. Up and down drawing closer to the vee of her legs until his fingers reached the cotton of her panties._

_Her hips were moving…rocking uncontrollably as they drew nearer, trying to entice the warm hands to reach its destination. Noah leaned back watching as his fingers traced the outline of her panties before crossing over to smooth the fabric and then back._

"_God, babe. You're so fuckin' beautiful. This is the best reward ever."_

_Rachel managed to open her eyes against the titillating sensations coursing through her and was mesmerized by the look in his. He was looking at her like…like she was the most beautiful thing in the world. She watched as the tip of his tongue peeked out and lick the dryness that had formed there. She felt his hands alternate between the supple skin of her lower belly to the soft fabric of her panties. _

_Finally, his fingers reached the moistened area of fabric that signaled exactly how turned on she was. Without further hesitation, he pressed firmly on the fabric causing the roughness to rub directly on the throbbing bundle of nerves._

_A sharp intake of breath and her body arching in response and Rachel almost blacked out at the sudden intensity of emotions shooting through her. A series of mummers that she at first didn't realize was her own filled the room._

"_S' hot." He leaned forward while grabbing onto her hips and dragging her lower body closer until she could feel his hardness rocking against her core. Her own body responded as she followed his movements and hearing his own groans let her know that he was deriving as much pleasure from the sensation of them joined as she was._

_His lips were sucking on the skin against her neck. Her hands were alternating between stroking the breadth of hair on his head to pressing her fingernails against his shoulders almost breaking the skin. Despite the barriers separating them, she could feel every inch of him, every throb and it only took a few thrusts until he find the perfect niche between her thighs. The dual sensation of the fabric separating them and the hardness pressing against her made her thrash underneath him, trembling as she continued to stroke any part of him she could reach. _

_She could feel her body clenching and releasing; the muscles of her lower abdomen stretching to reach her peak. "What's this called again?" She said absently._

_He groaned, his lips murmuring against her shoulder. "Dry humping."_

"_Hmmm,' she responded as his tongue peeked out to lick the silky skin. 'it doesn't feel very dry."_

_A harsh groan was her only response, that and a jerky thrust against her before Noah rolled, dragging her along with him. Before she knew it, she was staring down at the man with a questioning look._

_His hands were on her hips, moving her back and forth against the contact of their bodies; the slight weight of her body on his causing the movement to go deeper. She leaned forwards, her body instinctively knowing what position would maximize the sensation._

"_That's it baby, do what feels good" His voice was deeper…rougher._

_It was her turn to do the touching so her hands moved to the planes of his chest. She watched as the muscles rippled against her hands. The glint of gold catching her eye and her fingers caressed the area around the metal before flicking it gently. The moan gasped from his mouth let her know that he enjoyed the sensation and she repeated it before leaning forwards to dart her tongue against the ring repeating the action with her tongue. His hand moved from her hip to the back of her head, stroking the crown of dark hair for a moment before guiding her lips to his. Breathing each other in, as he exhaled, she inhaled and vice versa. They were each looking at each other now, mesmerized by the darkening of their eyes, so close and intimate, he encompassed her world at this moment. The vibrations coursing through her centering on where she continued to move…rock back and forth against him, the darkening of his eyes, the passion and heat in them as he gazed at her, their breaths intermingling, his scent…a spicy mixture of the cologne he used sparingly as well as his natural undertones drove her mad…she could easily spend days attached to the crook of his shoulder and inhaling that scent._

_Her movements became more erratic as he began thrusting upwards into her, she felt herself loosening further, spreading wider to increase the surface area as well as moving her hips side to side until the rocking become a sway..almost a dance as if enticing her partner to join her. Her moans were becoming louder as his hands gripped tighter moving away from her hips until they grabbed her butt at first caressing than increasing their grip. Her hands moved to his shoulders, propping herself up as well as anchoring._

_She closed her eyes as her breathing became more ragged, throwing her head back as she drew closer and closer to her peak. The tingling centering on her clit was increasing, causing her to continually shudder at the sensation. Her moans were matched by his. His grip becoming firmer, stretching the fabric to almost it's breaking point._

"_That's it, Berry. Let go, babe."_

_The muscle in her thighs clenched around him. The moisture they were both producing causing the fabric of their respective underwear to thin, she could feel every inch of him rubbing against her tender folds, the friction driving her onwards to the final goal. "Noah." She gasped as everything in her body stilled for a split second before a litany of explosions coursed through her body. Every nerve ending on fire as she continued to move prolonging the incredible sensation. "S'hot." His hands forcing her hips to continue moving, prolonging her bliss as his own overtook him. She whimpered as she watched his whole body tense, every muscle clearly outlined, the tendons of his neck straining and his mouth opening before releasing a ragged moan; the sight causing a smaller set of explosions to move through her as she watched as his own orgasm overtook him._

_Her body trembled as she laid her head against her shoulder, feeling his arms wrap around her as he did the same._

"_Thank you." She whispered once she was able to remoisten the dryness in her mouth._

_She felt more than heard the light chuckle against her, "Babe, I just had one of the best cums in my life and my boxers are still on…I should be thanking you."_

_She chuckled, "It was one of my best as well."_

_The body beneath her stilled and she could feel several twitches between her thighs at her words, "Your killin' me, Berry. Promise me one day, I'll get to watch. S'freakin' hot."_

_She finally had the strength to lift her head, smiling at the man beneath her, "Thank you for being patient with me. I know its abnormal being a virgin at seventeen especially since we've been dating for over seven months. I just…just want to take this slow, experience being together before we introduce a new factor into our relationship together."_

"_Babe, you don't have to explain. I like us just being…us. No expectations, no rushing…plus your worth it. I won't lie and say I can wait forever, but this…this buildup…let's just say if what we just did is any indication, when you finally do decide to have me punch in your V-card…it's goin' to be epic."_

_She wanted to chastise him on his crude language but considering the blush escaping onto her cheeks and the throbbing between her legs at the anticipation of THE day, she couldn't very well reprimand him._

"_I don't think you'll have to wait too much longer." She whispered before pressing her lips against his._

_She moved to the side until her head was cradled on his shoulder and his arm was wrapped her. He moved to his side, throwing one leg over hers and pulling her closer until every inch of him was pressed close to her. "What time do your dad's get home?"_

_She lifted her head to gaze at the clock on her nightstand just over his shoulder. "About another hour or so, depending on whether or not they decide to pick up dinner or have it delivered."_

"_Hmm, good. Puck is sleepy and needs a nap."_

_She giggled, "But I thought 'Puck' wanted to spend the rest of the night watching zombie movies. After all, it was you that demanded that I see all the classics in order to get a better understanding of my peers. Though how watching a dozen films on the undead could possibly correlate to my peers seems to escape me. Unless you are making a comparison between the lack of motivation between our fellow students to…" His mouth slanted against hers, effectively ending the long oration that was beginning to rev up._

_With his next words, the cocky Noah she knew and…cared for was back._

"_Shut up, Berry…or I'm ripping your panties off and sticking my tongue in your…"_

"He's been a perfect gentleman. He would never think to rush me into a decision I wasn't ready for." Rachel said with a complete straight face. She noticed the raised eyebrow and little smile on her mother's face and internally berated herself. She sometimes forgot that adults were once teenagers too no matter how long ago and while many things have changed, relationships between the sexes were still eerily familiar. But for the most part, what she said was true, despite all the litany of sexual innuendo that made up most of her and Noah's conversations; she knew that he would patiently wait for her to make the final move.

"I hope you don't plan on lecturing me about my relationship with Noah?" She asked tersely.

"No, no…it's just you make for an…odd couple." Her mother continued to drive, not willing to meet her eyes.

"How do you mean?"

"Rachel, you are…the stereotypical 'good girl' and he's…well from all the rumors and everything I learned firsthand and I don't mean the fact that he got a girl pregnant at sixteen…he's the stereotypical 'bad boy'."

Rachel paused for a moment, trying to interpret any hidden meaning behind Shelby's words. She seemed more curious than worried about her daughter's choice in a significant other.

"I will be the first to admit that on the surface we are, as you said, the good girl and the bad boy in which such a pairing rarely works out, however and I hope you don't think less of me for admitting this, but I have in the past been unscrupulous in dealings with my fellow peers when trying to reach an objective. For instance, my sophomore year I was enraged at one of my fellow Glee members for taking a solo from me so I had the teacher fired and thus put the whole Glee club in jeopardy until Mr. Shuester took over. Just last year, I was so insecure in my lead role in Glee that I sent a potential rival to a crackhouse in order to discourage her from joining even though as a whole, Glee would have thrived with such new talent. Despite my outward appearance, I am in no way a 'good girl'.'

"Noah is just the opposite. His past history is filled with slushy wars, throwing those weaker than himself into dumpsters or locking them in port-a-pottys and solving all potential threats and taunts with his fists rather than his mind. However, the real Noah, takes care of his eight year sister while his mother works. He's the man that will take down disparaging flyers off of my locker in order that my feelings don't get hurt. He was the first to give up his popularity by giving up football in order to stay with Glee. Puck is the product of circumstances forced upon him by his father leaving however I believe Noah…the Noah that I have come to know these last few years…is his true identity."

The car was silent once again with only the melody of a child's song filling the empty space.

"I can see that about him."

Rachel was surprised that it had been that easy.

"At the hospital…the day after Beth was born. I could tell that despite the Mohawk and the attitude…he really wasn't all that he seemed. I overheard some of the nurses talking about his past deeds but it didn't seem to match up with the man I saw holding Beth or the guy who talked me into staying in contact with him so he could in some small part stay a part of his daughter's life."

"That would be the Noah I know. Beth was a catalyst to the transformation; bringing Noah closer to the surface. I could tell he loved her before she was even born. The decision to give her up was a hard one…it still is but I hope that my visit here will alleviate some of the repressed feelings he is suffering from."

Shelby was quite for a few moments before a chuckled escaped. 'Did you really send a girl to a crackhouse?"

"In my defense, the home had been raided just the day before and I knew that her chances of encountering anyone unsavory were slim."

Her mom laughed with Rachel smiling at the memory. 'I do have to call him soon. I may have used subterfuge this morning and not letting him know of my plans to come here on his behalf. While I may have had a chance to continue the lie with my dads, Noah knows I am not in school today and is probably planning at this very moment to go to my house after Glee practice."

"Well, we're here. So how about you call him once we get back home." Shelby pulled into the large parking lot. Beth seeing familiar sights began jumping up and down in her booster seat. "DUCKIES!"

Rachel laughed at her exuberance. Shelby pulled into the first spot she found and turned off the car. "Why don't you grab her and I'll grab our lunch."

Rachel nodded, and exited the car. Pulling the back door open, Beth laughed at seeing her. "SISSY, DUCKIES! I SEE DUCKIES!" Beth pointed behind her.

She released the girl from her harness who than all but jumped into her arms, pointing behind her at the flock of birds waddling near the lake. Rachel turned to take in the sight of the large park.

It was a beautiful day, barely any clouds in the sky and the sun was glistening off the waters of the man made water structure. The grass was freshly mowed and the trees and hedges neatly trimmed. It was postcard perfect and it looked like they weren't the only ones enjoying the light humidity day. Scattered around were people sitting either on benches and picnic tables provided by the park or on blankets. There weren't many families since it was a weekday; most looked like employees from nearby businesses enjoying their lunch time respite before heading back for the rest of the day. She heard Shelby closing the hatch at the back of the SUV when she noticed a group of three walking towards a young lady sitting on a bench. Her excellent eyesight, due to a strict diet that was rich in beta carotene, noticed some oddities in their look and gait from the rest of those enjoying the park. She smiled and directed Beth's attention to them.

"Oh, look Beth…a flash mob. It looks like they might be doing the iconic and ground-breaking Michael Jackson's Thriller. We did that last year during homecoming…I have to admit, our makeup application is far superior but it should still be interesting to watch." Shelby came to stand next to them also gazing at the approaching trio.

Rachel is a little psychic, a fact that she had been mocked for in the past. Now she couldn't solve murders or tell someone their fortune but she did know when something was up…or in this case just plain wrong. At first, she chalked it up to inexperience…obviously the trio of performers had not attended 'Zombie School' as her Glee club/football players had. Their movements were not lumbering and slow at least not like any fictional zombie she had seen in the movies. And there faces didn't look made up…they looked fine in fact. However, as they drew closer, Rachel could see that their mouths were loose, their lips slack and eyes drooping. It was like if they had suffered a stroke and both sides of their faces had been affected but while their faces were completely relaxed, she could see every other part of their body was tense…as if in anticipation of a coming action.

She held Beth closer, forcing her to face away from the group and turning slightly to protect her from some unknown threat. Shelby tensed besides her perhaps sensing the same thing she did. In fact, Rachel learned that day that being psychic…even a little…was genetic.

"Get back in the car."

**AN: OMG, this chapter was SO hard to write. Who would have thought Smucklberry would be so difficult (even light M rated one). I think I worked on that section alone for three days…it was horrible and I'm still not totally happy with it. I hope you guys enjoy it though. And since I worked SO hard on this chapter, please, please (yes, I am now begging), please let me know what you think. Was it too corny? Not hot enough? Are you guys totally bored yet or just eagerly anticipating the next few chapters? Etc.**

**This ****was**** another filler chapter…however the good news is that the stage is set. At least the next part ****and**** the next chapter will have TONS of action in it.**


	6. Chapter 3 Part 2: A Whole New World

**Disclaimer: Shocking, I'm sure but I don't own Glee! Hope you enjoy!**

**Sorry, so sorry it took so long. I had this all done on Monday but before posting I like to give myself a day of rest before rereading it and looking for any errors. Well, Tuesday I did just that and I hated a big section of it and felt compelled to rewrite which of course caused an even longer delay as I worked that out. To make up for it, this part is extra EXTRA long (over 9300 words long). I hope you enjoy this next part.**

**Thanks to:**

_**Nova802**_** – I didn't like Shelby much either – she sends someone to sneak behind Rachel's dads back, which leads Rachel directly to her and than just walks away…but like a vulture, she comes in and adopts Beth? Plus, they haven't even talked about either Shelby or Beth this season. I really see this as a hindrance to the characters…I know it's a comedy as oppose to a serious drama but the lack of emotion from all involved, makes them very one dimensional. It kinda left everything hanging…I hope they revisit it and give it a good ending. I think that's part of the reason I wanted to explore it. I'm still a little iffy about the M scene but thanks for the encouragement.**

_**Alexand77**_** – Thanks so much….more zombie stuff this chapter and the next few chapters…as for Puckleberry…we might have to wait for it…there is an awful lot of danger between Florida and Ohio.**

_**Ang-Vamp**_** – Here is some more action for you…hope you like. I'm glad you liked the flashback, it was a tough one to write but I'm glad I've gotten some positive feedback from it.**

_**Bonesluver**_** – Sam? Ohhh, I will have to see if there are any Sam/Rachel fics. There might be another smut scene later but most likely not too graphic…much later in the story (epilogue?). Beth will be a VERY important character in this story so I hope you look forward to the growing relationship between the two. And now for more zombies!**

_**VegZombieGrl**_** – I'm excited too…got lots planned for the trip. I'm not from Florida (I'm in the Midwest) so I'll be relying on maps and such to move things along…feel free to let me know if I get something wrong. I'll try to update at least once a week probably on Mondays or Tuesday.**

**I also want to thank everyone who's putting this fic on Fav/Story Alert. I enjoy seeing those numbers rise. I hope you continue to enjoy the story!**

**AN: Please enjoy and review! **

_Italics = Flashbacks _

**Chapter 3 – Part 2**

Day One (Florida):

"Get back in the car."

An unknown element that Rachel had never heard before in her mother' voice seeped into those words. Before Rachel could even move, a scream rent through the air. The woman she had been watching, the one that had been slowly approached by the three….zombies stood up and turned away from the danger. She hadn't been the one to scream.

Rachel's eyes scanned the park further to the south and saw something that scared her into immobility. Five, maybe six other figures were surrounding a young couple, the man trying to fight off the savage attacks. Even from a distance she could see the creatures grappling, clawing and biting at the man. Soon a few broke off from the man and rushed the woman who stood directly behind him. A small crowd of other park visitors ran to the struggling couple…perhaps believing it was just a gang of muggers…to help.

Rachel didn't know why she believed the impossible, she'll probably never know. Maybe it was because she WAS psychic or maybe it was because it was just a few weekends ago that she had seen a plethora of zombie movies with Noah and it had stuck but something inside of her instinctively knew that what she was seeing…no matter how improbable…were zombies.

"We gotta get out of here." She whispered, still holding tightly to Beth who was now fidgeting slightly, trying to turn so she could see the commotion.

Without another word, the two women rushed back to the car they had just exited. Using the car remote on her keychain, Shelby unlocked all the doors, pushing Rachel in the back before closing the door behind her and moving to the front. She started the car and heard the buckles of Beth's car seat engage before Rachel moved to the front. Once her oldest daughter was seated, she slammed the gear into reverse, backing out of the parking space before putting the car in drive. Just as Rachel clicked on her seatbelt, Shelby revved out of the parking lot.

As they sped out of the designated area, Rachel turned her head back, seeing a multitude of people running to their own cars as well as the now large group of bystanders that had gone to 'help' the couple engage the walking dead. As they were about to turn onto the street leading away from the park, she caught one more glance at the woman who had been sitting alone on the park bench or at least a glimpse through the three zombies that had converged on top of her. Bile rose to her throat, as she saw the trio of creatures rip at the exposed flesh that laid before them, blood coating their hands and mouths. Before she could see more, the car turned away, leaving the park behind them and traveling swiftly through the streets of Orange Grove.

"We have to go home…it'll be safer there." Rachel turned to her mother, whispering…shocked by all she had seen. Thinking quickly, "This is Florida, hurricanes…you must have supplies that can…board up windows, bottled water, food…stuff like that…right?" Her words came out quickly, some mumbled while others were clear.

Shelby kept looking in the rearview mirror; Rachel assumed to make sure that none of the zombies followed the speeding vehicle. She also looked at the relatively deserted streets. She saw some people walking on the sidewalks, with bags labeled from local shops even an outdoor café where people were calmly sitting and eating their lunch. Everything looked…normal just a few blocks from a scene straight out of a horror flick.

Rachel watched as her mother shook her head. "No, we can't go home. Look around, Rachel."

Rachel did, not seeing what her mother saw until the woman explained. "This is just the start. Panic hasn't set in yet."

"I don't understand."

"Orange Grove has a population of almost 300,000. This place is about to become a horror movie. We can't go home."

"But your house, if we board it up…we can wait it out." Rachel argued.

"Wait what out? Until the whole population is dead or cannibalistic monsters? How will we get out than? Your right, I do have bottled water and extra food for hurricane season but only enough for a few days, a week at most. Sooner or later we would have to leave and by that time…the whole town will be…infected.'

Shelby momentarily took her eyes off the road, looking at the worried and confused face of her daughter. "I've seen a few zombie movies myself Rachel…and one thing they almost always show…the survivors are usually those that act…fast.' Gesturing to the businesses on both sides and the people who were living their lives like nothing was wrong, 'The park must have been the first hit, no one is running or screaming here. If we leave, we need to do it now cause those…things at the park, were probably not the first and if this works like the movies, than there are a bunch more being made right now…and it will only spread. Once people realize what's going on, they're going to panic. Streets will be flooded with cars trying to get out of Orange Grove, making it impossible to actually leave but instead making a buffet line of tin cans for those things."

Rachel leaned her head back, processing her mother's words, after a few moments she turned her head behind her, looking at the silent Beth. The child only returned her gaze, her brow furrowed, her lips pressed tightly together and her eyes…so expressive just like her fathers eyes…clearly worried but she remained quiet as if knowing something terrible had happened. Rachel tried to reassure her with a small smile before turning back to the SUVs driver.

"Okay, but where do we go?"

"I used to summer here with my grandmother every year since I was about four until I moved to New York. I know some back roads out of town, just in case…I don't want us being caught up in the panic. About two hours from here, there is an old camping ground run by an older couple. It's still a few weeks before spring break so they haven't opened for the season yet. They have a small store that should have everything we need, at least for now. We'll head there and decide whether to stay or go somewhere else." Shelby stated with only the slightest quiver in her voice.

Rachel nodded, trusting the older woman and glad that the decision was out of her hands. She closed her eyes, her mind trying to process everything that had happened in the last fifteen minutes of so. She suddenly opened them, her respiration instantly increasing.

"Can I borrow your phone? Mine is still in my trolley."

Shelby nodded, already knowing what Rachel was planning on doing. Without taking her eyes off the road, she reached into her purse pulling out the small device.

Rachel quickly grabbed it, flipped it open and dialed her dad's work number. Holding the phone to her ear she waited for him to answer, trying to compose quickly in her head exactly what to say when he picked up, hoping that he would believe her and do what needed to be done. The phone kept ringing. Rachel waited, holding her breath. After the tenth ring, she frowned. Her dad had voice mail…even if he hadn't been available it should have switched over by the fifth ring. She heard another six rings before she hung up and tried calling her daddy. Another minute later and after almost twenty rings and no voice mail, she hung up. "It just keeps ringing." She said worriedly.

"Do they have voice mail or a messaging service?"

"Yes, but it's not going to voice mail…it just keeps ringing." Rachel turned back to the phone and called Noah's cell. Tears started to pool in her eyes as the same thing happened. Just ringing. The three most important men in her life were unreachable. She couldn't warn them or at the very least make sure they were alright.

Before she could commence with a full on panic attack, she felt a gentle hand against her shoulder. "I'm sure their alright, sweetie.' Shelby whispered softly. 'It's probably isolated and Ohio is a long ways from here. You can try again later."

Rachel couldn't take comfort in her words but at look of understanding on Shelby's face, she inhaled deeply trying to quell the panic rising. Nodding and faking a smile, Rachel turned and put the phone back in the purse. She looked around and saw that they had left the businesses behind and were surrounded by homes much like her mother's but as Shelby drove further, the houses become further and further apart. With a slight jerk, the SUV moved from the paved road to gravel, the jarring of the change causing the passengers to jerk back and forth. Beth whimpered, "Mommy?"

Shelby adjusted the rearview mirror so she could see her youngest. "It's okay sweetie. We're just going on a trip.' She turned to Rachel, 'Will you go back there and…and play or read with her please…I don't want her to be scared."

Rachel nodded, unbuckling her seatbelt and crawled over the picnic bags that had been haphazardly thrown into the SUV as they made their escape. Reaching into the brightly colored book bag, she rooted around until withdrawing a book. "Here we go, Beth…is it okay if I read to you for a little bit?"

Beth gave a smile at her sister and nodded, moving as close to Rachel as she could in her car seat. Rachel wrapped one arm around the small girl and opened to the first page and started reading.

The book was the exact same one that Beth had shown her before…the one about a dog who spends the day playing with many different animals. It was easy for Rachel to read to the little girl while at the same time watch the road in front of her as well as keep an eye on her mother. It was only a few moments later that Shelby reached back into her purse and pulled out an MP3 player. She placed one of the buds in her ear and pressing a few buttons before placing the device in her lap. From what Rachel could see on the miniature screen, Shelby had turned the device to its radio setting. Their eyes met in the rearview mirror conveying a mixture of emotions and worries in the brief glance. Pressing a few more buttons, Shelby shook her head; silently convaying that no news was being broadcast yet about any attacks.

Rachel nodded her understanding before returning her attention back to the little girl and the task of keeping a two year old entertained.

Almost exactly two hours later, Rachel was glad to see that Beth had finally fallen asleep. They had gone through a few books, a few snacks and a few toys to exhaust a small child…a difficult task considering she was strapped in and unable to move around much.

Rachel had moved some of the bags around so climbing to the front was infinitely easier than before.

"We're only about fifteen minutes away." Shelby whispered, removing the bud and staying quiet in order to not wake Beth.

Rachel looked at the trees surrounding and flanking the road in front of them. The roads Shelby had chosen were truly back roads. In the near two hours they have been driving, they had passed only two pickup trucks heading in the opposite direction and a tractor with a giant apparatus attached that they had passed. Houses were just as spread out and none came any more near than a quarter mile from the road. "Any news?"

Shelby was quiet for a moment before speaking. "No one's said the word zombie yet but there have been reports of attacks all over Florida…mostly in the more populated cities like Tampa and Orlando."

"Nothing outside of Florida?" Rachel was hopeful that the monsters were just in the one state.

Shelby looked at Rachel sadly before shaking her head. "They think its unrelated and only saying that it's a bunch of protestors but it's happening along all the east coast and further west.' There was a slight hesitation in her voice as she continued, 'There has been some riots reported in Cincinnati."

Rachel's only reply was to reach in Shelby's purse and grab her phone. She started with her dad's number again, hoping that something had changed. However, the call never even connected this time. An annoying mechanical message played, letting her know that Shelby's cell phone service was apologetic but that 'all circuits were currently busy.'

Rachel hung up the phone and didn't bother calling her daddy…instead she sent a quick text asking Noah to reply. After a few minutes she realized that Shelby's number would be unknown, so she resent a text stating it was her and it was imperative that he reply. She did the same to a few of her friends that she remembered their numbers, Mercedes, Kurt, Brittany even Finn, hoping that one of them would be able to respond.

Ten minutes passed with no reply.

"Rachel." Shelby started, seeing the worry and panic begin to set in.

"No…just give me a minute…I have to think." Rachel sniffled. Her dads, Noah, her friends…were there zombies in Lima? Were they in danger? Were they dead or….worse?

"Rachel!" Shelby shook her. "I know you're worried and scared for them but you can't think about it right now. You have to start thinking about what's going on here and not about what may or may not be going on miles from here. You have no control over that."

"I know but just give me a minute to calm down, okay?" Rachel bit out through clenched teeth. She closed her eyes and took several calming breaths. She pictured her daddies safe and sound. She pictured Noah and his mom and sis safe and sound. She pictured her friends, frenemies and even enemies all safe and sound. Lima would not be affected by zombies. The last became a mantra and she envisioned a safe dome like bubble surrounding the small town, protecting everyone inside including those she loved and leaving the zombies outside, pounding fruitlessly against the invisible barrier. It was ridiculous but the imagery calmed her and if zombies existed, why couldn't her invisible shield work as well.

She felt the car slowing down before turning and she opened her eyes to see a small building in the distance. "Is that it?"

Shelby nodded. "Further back are the camp grounds but the store has a lot of camping gear available for purchase. Everything we'll need in case we have to stay away from cities and towns for long periods of time. Plus, there's a gas pump in back. This car is fuel efficient but it does have its limits."

"What about Beth? Should we take her inside with us?"

Her mother bit her lip while considering. "No, she should nap for the next half hour or so. I don't see anyone else around so she should be safe. We'll crack the windows and sunroof and lock the doors. I hate to do it but we'll need to carry a lot of stuff back and forth."

Shelby parked the large vehicle as close as possible to the store and taking one last worried glance at the sleeping Beth, she exited the car with Rachel close behind. The two women walked to the entrance and even though the sign had been flipped to 'Closed' she tried the glass door. Rachel had already spotted a large stone they could use to break the glass but was pleasantly surprised when the door opened with no resistance.

A bell hanging off the door, clanged loudly in the empty store. Shelby placed her hand on it to silence it and waited to be greeted by the employees of the store. Someone should at least be prepping for the coming season, especially considering the front door was unlocked. Both women glanced around seeing tents, sleeping bags, lanterns, and other camping paraphernalia. Also, canned goods, bottled water, fishing gear, flashlights, batteries and off to one corner a glass case holding several rifles. They still hesitated, waiting to be acknowledged by…someone.

"Rachel, start grabbing the cases of water and placing them by the door; I'll go look in back and see if the owners are here." Shelby said softly, not wanting or scared to disturb the quiet.

Rachel nodded and began doing just that as the older woman moved towards the back of the building. Shelby didn't get very far before a swinging door hiding the office space in back opened and an older gentleman stepped through. All three were surprised and stood for a moment before the man spoke sternly. "We're closed."

"Mr. Franklin, I don't know if you remember me or not but I'm Shelby Corcoran. Savannah Corcoran was my grandmother."

Mr. Franklin smiled, "Of course I remember Savi and you say you're her granddaughter. Child, the last time I saw you, you were barely out of training bras."

Shelby pushed back the uneasiness that washed over her. "Um, yes. I know you don't open yet but my oldest daughter is visiting from Ohio and I wanted to take her out camping. Show her that Florida isn't all beaches and amusement parks but it's been quite awhile since I've been camping and we need supplies…a lot of supplies." Shelby hoped that the small lie was convincing.

"Of course, dear, gather everything you need and bring it to the front. We'll get you squared away and you two can enjoy your mother/daughter camping trip." The older man smiled. The dread came back but Shelby couldn't distinguish whether it was the man's words or his actions that were causing them. He seemed overly pleasant…more so than she remembered and his eyes couldn't seem to settle in one place; first glancing behind him and then towards the front all the while pulling at the cuffs of his button down shirt.

"Thank you." She turned to Rachel, 'Get any food items you think we might need. I'll get the camping gear."

Rachel nodded but looked worriedly at her mother, she sensed the same thing Shelby had but seeing her mother's determined face she pushed back her own feelings of apprehension and did as she requested.

The two women started their individual tasks, grabbing anything and everything they thought would be needed. Mr. Franklin stayed mostly in the front of the store looking over some paperwork but Rachel had caught him glancing at them every once in awhile. The few times she caught her mother's eyes, she knew that her mother had seen the same thing. It was alarming but since the man hadn't approached them since they started, Rachel tried to ignore it and continue on.

About twenty minutes later, the area in front of the store near the check-out counter was piled high with everything a camper could want and hope for. Rachel stayed near the pile while Shelby approached Mr. Franklin. "I know it's a lot of stuff but like I said…this is the first time I've gone camping since I was a teenager."

"Looks like you're preparing for the apocalypse." Mr. Franklin chuckled.

Shelby returned the laugh uneasily. "We're girls so we need our creature comforts."

"I'll get you two rung up and then help you load up your car." The man circled around from the back of the counter with a pricing gun in his hand.

"Mr. Franklin, I was also thinking about purchasing one of your rifles in the back." Rachel startled at those words, she knew it would be one of the 'necessities' but it went against her strict adherence of any type of violence.

"Well, there you might have some trouble. There's paperwork you would have to fill out for a background check which usually takes about three to five days. Wouldn't be able to sell you one until then." The beeps from the pricing gun interjected his words as he went about scanning each of the items.

Shelby glanced over at Rachel, unsure what to do next. Rachel thought quickly. "Could we maybe borrow one while we're camping…I'm really scared about alligators and cougars and such, it would be really nice to have some type of protection on my first excursion out in the wild."

Mr. Franklin stood up, chuckling. "I don't think you have anything to worry about, darling. We're a little too far north for gators and while cougars have been spotted nearby…they tend to avoid humans. It's a rare thing for a cougar to attack no matter what the news say."

As the man stood, Rachel's gaze unknowingly caught a flash of white on his arm. Glancing at where the cuff of his shirt had risen, she saw that his wrist had been bandaged and flecks of blood were already seeping through. "Are you okay, Mr. Franklin? You're bleeding."

Shelby was by her side in an instant, keeping her distance from the man but looking at the bandage as well. "What happened?" The question left no room for argument…she demanded a reply.

"Now, girls, it's nothing to worry about. I'm sure you already know what's going on out there." He said matter of fact, not bothering to hide the wound or mince his words.

With everything that had happened earlier, it didnt take long for Rachel to connect the dots between the bandage and the old mans erratic behavior. "You've been bitten." The older man smiled and it was in that smile that Rachel started to become frightened.

_Darren Franklin shut the cupboards with a resounding bang. He didn't mean to be so forceful but he was hungry and in his rush to grab a quick bite to eat before heading into the store had caused him to close it a little more forceful than intended.__first aid kit__ just to be sure."_

"Why you making so much racket in there?" His wife of almost thirty years entered with several bags filled with what he hoped would be a satisfying breakfast.

"Did you get the milk?" He reopened the cupboard and pulled out his favorite cereal...Lucky Charms...something the grandkids had left behind...and something his wife wouldn't buy normally.

Miriam smirked and pulled out an all too familiar blue box.

Sneering at the offending item, he glared at her. "That is not milk; it's a bean...in a box."

"Doc said we got to watch your cholesterol otherwise you're going to end up in the hospital waiting for a triple by-pass. And I'll be damned before I let you leave this earth before me, Darren."

Before he could reply, he saw what looked like a bite mark on his wife's arm, it wasn't much...mostly just a deep impression of teeth marks, it look like just one of them was deep enough to break the skin. "Did a dog bite you?"

"You won't believe this. I was leaving the grocery store and some woman attacked me while I was putting the groceries in the trunk. She barely broke the skin before I walloped her over the head with my purse but she was gearing up for more when Mickey...the nice boy who worked for us a few summers ago...came out and dragged her off of me. I think he got bit too before he used some of the carts to push her out of the parking lot."

"Shit, you serious?"

Miriam nodded, "It ain't much, I went back in the store with Mickey and he got a first aid kit...cleaned it up...hardly needed a band-aid."

"Darling, we got to get you to the hospital. If that bitch was crazy enough to bite you...no telling what kinda diseases she got...could even have AIDs or something."

"I already called the doc...he says to come by and see him later this afternoon. He'll be able to tell me if I need to worry or not. Probably give me some antibiotics or something just in case. He said not to worry, he even has some medicine that as long as I take within 24 hours and than take for a few weeks afterwards, I won't have to worry so much about AIDs...said it would knock me off my ass for awhile but it should work."

Darren wasn't convinced but if the doc who had been with them for over ten years said it was going to be okay, it would be hard to argue against.

"I still don't like it but if he says its okay and he can fix you up later than I guess we'll wait. But let me get the

"I already told you, Mickey cleaned it up already."

"I'm not taking any chances. Just hold on, it'll only take a few minutes."

_Ten minutes later, Darren finished adding the last band-aid on his wife's arm. He chuckled at the death glare his wife was staring at him._

"_Are you done yet?"_

"_Just one more thing…the perfect cure." He raised her arm and placed a small kiss on the band-aid._

_Miriam laughed at the gesture. "That was the corniest thing…ever."_

"_Hey, you did it for the kids."_

"_Yeah, yeah…get out of here. You got a few weeks until we open and a lot of stuff still needs to be done."_

"_Yes, madam. Your wish is my command." He laughed, gave Miriam a kiss on the cheek, grabbed the box of Lucky Charms and left._

_It only took a few minutes to reach the shop. He spent the next three hours dusting, setting up the display tents, and going over paperwork. It soon became clear that dry cereal was not a well-balanced breakfast and by 11:30 his stomach growled. He headed back up to the house._

_As he entered, he heard what Miriam must of heard earlier that day…banging of cupboards coming from the kitchen._

"_Who's making all the racket now?" He chuckled._

_There was no answer. "Miriam?" He rushed through the living room thinking the sounds he heard was his wife falling or hurting herself._

"_What the…?" He stood shock at the entryway leading from the living room into the kitchen. His eyes not quite registering with his brain on the sight before him. His wife was on the floor on all fours, her head down and her hands grasped tightly around a styrofoam container wrapped in plastic of ground beef. She was chewing through the plastic wrap swallowing lumps of the raw meat along with the plastic. "Miriam?"_

_The sound of her name made her jerk slightly and as Darren watched, she slowly raised her head…sniffing at the air. Her eyes moved to where he stood and stared. Her face was completely relaxed except for the few jaw muscles that continued to move as it chewed at the remnants of beef in her mouth. Her eyes were glassy and clouded with a white film. He could see her throat muscles working, straining against the large mass being consumed. Suddenly, her mouth opened and a sound that he could only describe as a cross between a growl and a hiss escaped._

_He never saw the bunching of muscles, the tenseness that swept through her body…one moment she was crouched on the floor like a dog at its dinner bowl and the next she was on top of him. Faster than his old eyes could register. Some part of him recognized the danger because his arms rose defensively as her gaping mouth drew closer to his throat. He felt the bite of teeth sinking into his skin, he felt the tear as she ripped backwards with part of his arm in her mouth. Her arms grappled for purchase, trying to pin him down like some animal prey._

_Self preservation took over. It didn't matter that it was his wife that was trying to kill him, the woman he had loved for more than twenty five years. All those thoughts and memories disappeared as he reached blindly for some type of weapon and as his grasping hand circled something cool and heavy he swung with all his might._

_The weapon in his hand shattered on Miriam's head, the glass falling around her and onto him. He felt the slump of her body draped over his own and he just laid there trying to understand what had happened in just a few minutes. As gently as possible, he shifted the unconscious weight of the body off of him, using a hand to cradle her head as he rested Miriam next to him. "Miriam?"_

_Gazing at the face he loved, the one he's looked at thousands…hundreds of thousands of times before…trying to reconcile the beloved face to the one he saw just a few moments before…something broke. You wouldn't be able to hear it…neurons working frantically with the information being thrown at them…synapses firing away…from the time he was born to that very moment, his brain has learned to adapt and process new information…it wasn't so much that he had just hit his wife, it wasn't so much that she had resembled some monster straight from a horror flick or the fact that something about the story Miriam had told him that had happened at the store finally clicked but a combination of all of these things…that literally caused his brain to overload. If a psychologist had been witness to the inner workings of his brain, they would say it was a psychotic break, where the brain loses all contact with reality. After all, was it reality? Darren figured he must be dreaming because no way would his wife ever think of hurting him or vice versa. Plus, zombies didn't exist…this was just a nightmare and he would wake up soon. But what if it was reality? What would he do now?_

_Miriam's chest moved in steady breaths. That's all that mattered to Darren at that moment. She was alive…he hadn't killed her. He stood up and glanced around the mess in the kitchen. Seeing the shattered ceramic on the floor, he vaguely recognized it as a cookie jar his daughter had given them a few years ago. Somehow it had ended on the floor of the kitchen and within his reach as his wife attacked him. His attention went back to the fridge and the piles of food that were strewn across the floor in front of it. Bags of frozen vegetables, the soy milk, and other items were left on the floor unopened, just thrown there. However, any packages containing meat were ripped to shreds, its contents devoured._

"_Meat?' He glanced back at the unconscious form. "Is that what you want, baby? I'll get some more…promise." Darren started to leave the kitchen but noticed the blood on his arm. Looking back a trail of drops had form. She was safer here…couldn't have her following him and maybe getting lost in the campsites. He wasn't sure how much she would remember after…after what? It didn't matter. He had to keep her safe. And home was safe._

_He noticed the first aid kit from earlier and went back to the counter to quickly bandage the wound. He didn't bother disinfecting it, just wrapped it in gauze because he didn't want to chance not being with his wife. If he disinfected…than there was a chance he wouldn't be infected…right? It would work just like in all those movies he saw. Now, he'll bring back the meat stored in the freezer at the store…hot dogs, hamburger patties, even some deer meat a friend had given them. Then he would come back and wait for his wife to wake up…keep her satisfied on what he brought and hopefully it wouldn't be too long afterwards before he became like her. Then nothing else would matter. He would stay with his wife. They had promise each other forever and if this was the only way…so be it._

He was back at the store for a third trip when he saw the two younger women in the store. He had forgotten that he had left the door open but since their weren't schedule to open for another few weeks and he planned on moving back and forth between his home and the store, he hadn't bothered to lock up.

A new plan was forming in Darren Franklin's mind…a better plan. After all wasn't fresh meat better than frozen? And these two women just waltzed right in like a pizza delivery. It was a sign...a sign that what he was doing and what he was about to do...it was meant to be. He and Miriam would be together and that's all that mattered.

The first part of the plan…make sure they couldn't leave. While they were busy gathering whatever they needed, he had walked casually over to the entrance and locked the door from the inside. Without the key they wouldn't be able to get away. Second part…a further incentive to keep them put. Shuffling the pile of papers on top of the counter in order to hide his actions, he reached under the counter and pulled out the small handgun he kept in case any punk ass kids came in and tried to take something from the store but this time instead of scaring someone off…it would now be used to scare one to stay put. He didn't want a panic though so for now he hid the firearm underneath the pile of papers he had used as a cover.

They had gathered an impressive pile of camping gear and food…all you needed to try and survive an apocalypse. Too bad they weren't going to get much further.

He didn't want to spook them but when the younger one noticed the bandage, he knew he didn't have much more time before he would have to forcefully restrain them.

"Are you okay, Mr. Franklin? You're bleeding." He wished she wouldn't say that with such concern in her voice. He already had stopped thinking of them as human, his brain no longer recognized that his course of action would be murder but as survival…for him and Miriam but if his brain recognized their emotions…identified with them on any level…it would be more difficult for him to do what needed to be done.

Now the older one, knew something was up. Her words weren't laced with concern but with a hard edge that demanded that he answered. "What happened?"

"Now, girls, it's nothing to worry about. I'm sure you already know what's going on out there." He said matter of fact, not bothering to hide the wound or mince his words.

"You've been bitten." Rachel whispered. Darren smiled and by the look of the young ones eyes, he knew that it was a manic smile.

He pulled the gun out from under its hiding spot. "Now, girls…I would rather keep you alive but considering I just spent the last forty minutes trudging frozen meat up the hill…I don't think it will truly matter in the long run."

Shelby shifted her weight, instinctively protecting her oldest by placing her body in front of Rachel's. Moving backwards, she forced Rachel to do the same, when they reached the exit, she turned and tried to open the door. It was locked and the only way to open it would be with a key. Hearing the jangling of the very item she needed, she turned back around and saw Mr. Franklin holding up a key ring with about half a dozen keys on it. "What are you doing, Mr. Franklin. If you know what's going on than why did you lock us in? We need to find someplace safe."

"The world is changing, darling. There is no such thing as safe. And as for why I'm doing this? Well, it's simple really…what almost any man in love would do…whatever the wife wants…she gets. And in what I hope will be a little bit, she'll wake up and want something to eat."

Rachel's eyes widened in realization, 'Us? You want us to be…entrees for your zombie wife?"

Darren nodded, violently at her words, even though he hadn't quite meant for the action to be more of a comical jerking than a slight nod. "Not just for her either, I expect that it won't be long before I join her. Hopefully, once we're done with you two, we'll be filled up enough to head down into town for more."

"You're crazy! Your about to die and all you can think about is…food?"

Shelby kept her eyes on the gun as Rachel and Darren spoke.

"I don't consider it dying…just a different form of living."

"You can't be serious!" Rachel yelled.

The manic smile turned into an all out laugh. "But according to you, that would be a 'dead' serious." He raised the gun and pointed. The gleam of the metal distracted him and without conscious thought his eyes were drawn to it. Only problem was, that the gun never rose…it hadn't moved from its place. He clearly remembered moving his arm and grasping the pistol. He could have sworn he felt the cold heaviness of it in his hand. He glanced at his arm that remained at his side. It didn't twitch or respond to his voluntary commands to do something. He glanced back at the two women in surprise.

"I can't lift my arms." The quizzical expressions on their faces confused him. "I CAN'T lift my arms." The women continued to look on in a mixture of fright and confusion. Panic started to set in.

Both Rachel and Shelby winced as the man yelled at them but neither was able to understand him. Pure gibberish started to come out of his mouth and it seemed to make him angrier when they didn't react to his words. His speech began to slur as he continued to yell at them but he made no move towards them or the weapon that lay just in front of him.

Suddenly, the yelling stopped. He started to squint at them as if he couldn't see them. His lips turned downwards and his eyelids drooped. It was like his face was melting as all the muscles controlling the finer movements of his jaw, cheek, forehead and mouth just stopped working. While his facial muscles seemed to lose all strength, the rest of his body seemed to seize up, tensing and jerking as his larger muscles began to relax and retract sporadically and without any coordination.

His legs gave out and his body disappeared behind the counter. Shelby reacting quickly, rushed forward and grabbed the gun before circling the counter. Rachel moved to follow but her mother stopped her with a raised hand and a commanding glare.

Darren Franklin continued to jerk across the small space behind the register. Shelby watched as his body continued to tense and relax violently as his eyes rolled back until only the whites could be seen. She held the gun with both hands, a finger on the trigger and pointed directly at his head. She hesitated for a second but then remembering that this man was going to kill her, Rachel and most likely Beth as well, she made her decision.

Rachel gave a small scream and jumped as the resounding gunshot filled the room. Her hand instinctively covered her mouth in shock and she gazed at her mother with wide disbelieving eyes.

Shelby moved backwards away from the now still body. She hoped that if Hollywood was to be right about anything, that this would be it. A shot to the head would kill a zombie. The echo of the shot dwindled away as she waited for the body to move again.

A few minutes passed before either Rachel or Shelby moved. Seeing the look of shock on Rachel's face, Shelby lowered the gun and moved towards her…glad that her daughter just continued to gaze at her and not flinch away. "I had to, Rachel…he was turning into one of those zombies and I couldn't let him kill you or Beth."

Rachel knew this, she knew her mother had no choice in the matter. She remembered the zombies in the park and how quickly they had moved, very un-Hollywood like. If Mr. Franklin was becoming one of those things, who knew if she and her mom would have been able to find a way out of the locked store in time. She lowered her arm and nodded her understanding, "What do we do now?"

"What we came here to do." Shelby moved back towards the counter and lifted the key ring that Mr. Franklin had dropped. She glanced once more at the body confirming that it hadn't move before tucking the still warm weapon on the waistband of her jeans. It only took a few moments before she had the door open and using one of the cases of water, had it propped. "Come on. The faster we do this, the faster we can leave. Plus, his wife is still up there. Don't know how long it will take her to go through all the meat he took up there."

Each grabbed something from the big pile of supplies before rushing the few feet towards the car. Using the keyless remote, the rear door swung upwards allowing them to deposit the items.

A sleepy voice rang out before either could go back. "Mommy?"

With a overly happy smile, Shelby moved to the side of the car and opened the door. "Hi, sweetie. Did you have a nice nap?"

Rachel wanted to stop as well and check on Beth who had been in the car by herself for much longer than either had planned but instead she let her more rational side kick in and headed back into the store to gather more items and after a few moments of comforting the small child, Shelby joined her.

It took about ten minutes for Rachel and Shelby to finish packing up the SUV. At first throwing things in randomly before realizing that if they wanted to take everything they had picked out, they would have to be more organized. Since they now had free reign over the store and there was still no sign of Mrs. Franklin, both women grabbed more items, clothing…a few t-shirts, some flannel and light coats. There were some travel sized toiletries, a few cheap 'Made in China' toys for Beth and baby items like wipes which were thrown into a few bags and placed in the car. Basically, anything they thought would be useful they took. Batteries, flashlights, lanterns, kitchen utensils, toilet paper even a portable DVD player and some DVDs. But perhaps the most important thing were the rifles and guns liberated with a shattering of glass and the bullets that hopefully went with each were also stowed in the large space in the back of the SUV.

Once they had loaded everything up, Shelby drove the SUV to the back of the store where the gas pumps laid. Since she had last been there as a teenager, the pumps had been upgraded to the automatic ones. Crossing her fingers she used her credit card to get authorization to use the pump, hoping that one, whatever technology that allowed her to pay with her credit card still worked and two, that the pumps were completely automated and she wouldn't have to go back inside to try and figure out how to turn the pumps on. Seeing the words *Authorized* and than the screen changing asking her to remove handle and select the grade of gas, she gave a quick prayer of thanks.

It took less than ten minutes for her to fill the tank up and than they were on the road again, heading further north, away from Orange Grove and the campsite. Shelby used the car's internal compass to make sure she continued to head in that direction because up to the campsite, she had been on somewhat familiar territory but as she moved further and further away, she had no clue where they were at. All she did know was that she wanted to head away from the peninsula that made up Florida state; if they were to continue to travel than she wanted options and being surrounded on three sides by the ocean was not a good option.

Beth was still strapped in her car seat in the back, most of the time perfectly content playing with her new toys. They did stop twice more, to change her and feed her some of the picnic foods that had been packed so long ago but also under the watchful eyes of her mother and 'Sissy', she ran around a bit in some nameless meadow that the adults could easily watch over. Shelby always kept the loaded pistol nearby.

Shelby kept glancing over at Rachel, who hadn't said much since the campsite. She would respond to questions directed at her in mono-syllable replies and when Beth had asked for another story, Rachel had eagerly climbed in back to sit with her. Otherwise, no long speeches about what happened, what to do next or even to ask if she could borrow her mother's phone to try and reach her dad's and Noah.

Shelby kept driving. It was about an hour or so until the sun would start to set. Even though they had just gotten all the camping gear, Shelby didn't really want to spend the night outside. She sighed in relief as she reached the top of a hill and saw a single building in the distance. When the road leading to the building came up, she diverted from her course and aimed the vehicle in that direction.

Nothing but empty fields surrounded the building; it was too early in the season to start planting so she could see for miles around them. The house that stood in the middle of the fields was a typically farm home…two story, white with a wrap-around porch.

Rachel spoke from the back seat where she had been playing dolls with Beth. "Are we stopping here?"

"It's almost night time. We can't drive after dark…not on these roads."

"But there could be people in there…maybe more zombies?"

"We might get lucky and no one is home. We'll just check it out…if its empty we can stay, if it isn't then we'll keep driving."

"But what about all the stuff in the back…couldn't we just use it?" Rachel was clearly nervous about meeting any more people…and potential zombies.

Shelby shook her head, "I drove to long. There's no way we would have time to dig out everything we need and have it set up before dark."

Shelby stopped the car in front of the house. Grabbing the gun that had been beside her since the campsite, she turned around to her daughters. Smiling at Beth before speaking to Rachel. "I want you to sit here in the driver's seat. If I'm not out of the house within ten minutes, you drive away."

"What?"

"These zombies aren't like the movies, Rachel. They're fast. Even with this,' Shelby motioned slightly to the gun, 'I might not be able to kill it quickly enough. I'm not that experienced with guns. So, if in ten minutes or even if you hear a gunshot, you take off. Don't wait for me because I'll probably be…" She didn't finish the sentence. There were only two options available at that point, death or being one of the walking dead. Either way, she wanted reassurance that her daughters would be safely away if either occurred.

Rachel nodded in understanding despite the moisture gathering in her eyes. She handed the doll to Beth and took her mother's spot as the older woman exited the car.

As soon as her mother disappeared into the large house, Rachel moved her gaze to the dashboard clock and watched as the colon between the numbers blinked. She started counting.

She had only made it through the first minute, when Beth spoke up from the back. "Sissy?"

Rachel turned her head to look at the little girl now sitting behind her. "It's okay, Beth. Mommy will be right back."

Beth raised her head a little, glancing out the windows, trying to get a glimpse of her mother. When she couldn't see her, she relaxed back into her seat. "Mommy be right back?"

"Yes, and when she does, we'll go into that lovely home and get to stay there for tonight. It will be like staying at a hotel. Maybe they have toys or something we can play with." Rachel hoped her words were soothing, as upset as she was about the day's events, her little sister had to be feeling just as upset and probably confused but had managed to stay calm and not fuss too much during the long drive.

Beth smiled, "Sissy, sing me song?"

Rachel laughed, she must have sung a half dozen songs already during the trip. Beth seemed to enjoy being sung to as much as being read to. "Of course, what should we sing?"

Immediately the little girl began humming the chorus to Aladdin's theme song. Rachel paused for a moment. How ironic that she chose a song that was titled 'A Whole New World'. Rachel pushed the thought aside and began to sing to the little girl. She had almost completed the song when she saw Shelby exit the house.

Sighing with relief, she rolled the window as the woman approached.

"It's empty. There's no food in the fridge and anything plugged in was disconnected."

"They went on a trip?"

"That would be my guess. Either way, it's safe for now."

The next hour or so was spent emptying the car of all of its contents and setting up for the night. Shelby wanted to go through every item again, get rid of the bulky packaging, consolidating items so that what was needed at one point would all be together (such as the tents, sleeping bags, lanterns, etc. were all placed together so that the next night they wouldn't have to empty out the whole vehicle to get what was need). However, Rachel argued it would be a task best left for the morning since it was getting dark and while the house still had electricity neither of the women wanted to leave the lights on longer than they had to; to avoid anyone outside from seeing that the house was occupied. Also, Beth's energy levels were directly correlated to the setting sun and she was starting to fall asleep standing up and so were theirs especially Shelby who had driven the whole way.

The house was built at least hundred years ago. One of its features was a cavernous attic that could only be accessed through the ceiling in the hallway. Pulling down the access hatch, a narrow ladder-like staircase unfolded. It was decided that the attic would be the safest place to stay the night since once the ladder was refolded with the trio already in the attic, it would make it very difficult for anyone to come up especially after the rigged it with rope so that anyone in the hallway wouldn't be able to pull the ladder down.

Twenty minutes later, the small group had spread their sleeping bags and a single lantern glowed causing the shadows to play against the walls and boxes of the room. Shelby cradled Beth singing softly as the little girl's eyes grew heavy before resting firmly on her cheeks.

Rachel had started to look around the area and came across a large antique mirror. It had been shrouded with a heavy canvas like sheet and out of curiosity Rachel had removed the dusty cloth. Seeing her reflection for the first time since that morning long ago at the airport, she was stunned by her appearance. Her clothes were wrinkled and her hair tangled but it wasn't that reflection that caused her pause. Her eyes were gleaming as if she was having trouble focusing on what was in front of her. She looked…thinner even, as if only a fraction remained of her former self. She was always one to think forwards…sectionals, regionals and nationals. Getting through high school with good grades and doing well in all her extracurricular activities so that Julliard would recognize her as the best choice to accept her; moving to New York, auditioning for small off-Broadway parts, than moving to bigger and better parts until she landed her dream roles in famous Broadway musicals. Finding someone who shared her passion, falling in love with someone who may not have always agreed with her but understood her and let her follow her dreams without trying to belittle them. Her five year plan was instrumental in keeping her focused on her future and yes, she had to alter things slightly as she learned more about the world around her and those she cared about but the focus, the drive had always remained.

Now, however, no adjustment to her plans would survive. The world was in chaos and Rachel didn't think that IF there was anyone to survive this, reviving Broadway would not be the top priority. A new plan would have to be made, one on surviving the next day because focusing further than that was preposterous. Who knew what they would come across the next day? Shelby hadn't said anything but Rachel knew that the SUV was dangerously close to running out of gas. If they didn't find any the next morning, a whole new set of problems would arise.

Her thoughts rambled onwards and soon she was thinking about her dads, Noah and her friends. Up to this point, she had tried to push these thoughts to the back of her mind. Tried to ignore the worry that was pressing against her being, avoid the images of those she loved dealing with zombies. Even when a hint of it would arise, she would go back to her ridiculous image of the invisible force shield. Perhaps it was her mind forming a shield against these thoughts but now it was starting to crack and the what ifs began to filter through. Did her dads meet for lunch like they sometimes do. Did they go to that cute little café in downtown Lima where they served the delicious vegan lunch specials? If so, were they able to enjoy it or were they forced to run like she and her mom were? Did they have a chance to run? What about Noah? And the rest of the Glee members? Had they been safe at school? What about afterwards? She kept imagining all the possible scenarios until their faces became superimposed to that of Mr. Franklin as he started to speak gibberish, convulsing, falling until only thing left was the sound of a gunshot. She didn't see the still body of the old man but in her mind she saw the still bodies of those she loved, or worse, them getting up and becoming one of those things.

The shocked gleam in her eyes worsened as tears welled up and escaped. She covered her mouth trying to hold back the sobs as her whole body began to shake from the emotions that began to crash through her. Warm arms circled her and drew her close, a hand caressed her head as she turned towards the source of warmth. Shelby held on tighter, not bothering to say anything, just holding her daughter as she wept.

Ten minutes passed as Rachel sobbed, as the terrible emotional pain of losing someone could only bring. She could only think the worse. Her, Shelby and Beth were the lucky ones, if you wanted to call surviving lucky in this case. The chances that anyone else she cared for, surviving, were small. Her dads, Noah, his family and their friends were all most likely either dead or the walking dead.

Finally she drew away from the comfort she felt in her mother's arms and wiped the moisture from her face. As she looked into Shelby's eyes, she saw sorrow as well.

"A lot of people died today." Rachel whispered. Shelby nodded, brushing back the hair from Rachel's face, knowing that she was including her dads and friends into that sentence. From her pocket she withdrew a small Swiss army knife that she had gotten from the camp site. Adjusting it so the tiny scissors could be used, she gave it to Rachel without saying a word.

Rachel took the scissors and placed it just to the right over her heart before piercing her shirt and cutting a tear. Her tears returned at this act…this confirmation that those she loved were dead.

Rachel's soft voice broke through the quiet as a soft prayer she had heard a few times before escaped her lips in a language she hardly spoke outside of the synagogue. _**"May they have abundant peace, loving-kindness, ample sustenance, and salvation from their Father who is in heaven."**_

Shelby responded back, _**"Blessed be the Name of his glorious kingdom forever and to all eternity."**_

Rachel moved back to the mirror and lifting the sheet that had kept it dust free for who knows how long, she took one last glance at her reflection and the tear over her heart, before swinging the sheet over it to cover its reflection. Who knew what tomorrow would bring, but tonight at least for a few hours, she would mourn…for her dads, for Noah and his family, for her friends…for the whole world.

**AN: First of all, I am not Jewish. The mourning rites briefly described at the end was found from a few sites online so I hope that they are at least kinda right but please don't take offense if I did get something wrong.**

**Second, I have a feeling that many of you were expecting Rachel to come out of this guns blazing and instinctively kicking ass. I truly tried to imagine such a scenario but I just couldn't picture it. I know this is fan fiction and anything is possible but I still want a sense (even a small one) of realism to go into this fic…it's crazy, I know, but can't be helped. The way I see Rachel is as teenager who has led a very sheltered life and who's Dads have lovingly spoiled her (a good kind of spoiled…there is a difference). Despite the school bullying and taunts she hasn't lived through any true adversity, she is someone who still had a lot of 'growing up' to do. All the Glee clubbers (heck, most teenagers) do. I hope to instill a little of that in this story even though it is a zombie fic. Rachel and the rest of Glee will have their moments where they 'kick ass' but for Rachel, it will take a few more chapters before she learns the necessary skills to do so. **

**And finally, I still hope you enjoyed the rest of Day One in Florida and look forward to the rest of Day One in Ohio. I have big plans and some action to go along with it. My goal is to have it up by the end of next week but please be patient since work has picked up a little and I will be mostly brain dead when I get home. **

**Now since this was an extra long chapter, I expect lots and lots of reviews. :) Enjoy the rest of your weekend. **


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